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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739139">The Halloween Edition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAtropine/pseuds/MissAtropine'>MissAtropine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Diabolic Disobedience Department (Vol.1) [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghost (Sweden Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aemelia Vial (OC), Alternate Canon, Dark Comedy, Drunk Dancing, Drunken Flirting, F/M, Familiars, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Horror, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Necromancy, Nekid (OC), Original Character(s), Party, Prequelle Chapters, Préquelle, References to ABBA, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Song: Kiss the Go-Goat (Ghost), Supernatural Elements, Supernatural Investigators, Swearing, Vampires, Witchcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:09:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>47,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26739139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAtropine/pseuds/MissAtropine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Polite Reminder: The Halloween celebration is for Ministry residents only. Visits from demonic acquaintances, tortured souls or conjured apparitions are all prohibited (things get kinda nasty if you bring any of these along... so... don't.) Costumes are encouraged but not essential. Be cool, have a good time and wobble your asses, ok?</p><p>- Part Five of Six, an unusual retelling of the last year of Era 4.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cardinal Copia/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Diabolic Disobedience Department (Vol.1) [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. His Foresight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been sat on this for a little while and figured I'd post it across October.<br/>I'd recommend reading the other parts first but they're not essential.<br/>This was honestly a blast to write, I hope it's just as fun to read...<br/>Enjoy :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Copia's hands shook. His arms and legs were heavy with fatigue. His throat was dry and scratchy. His chestnut hair was unkempt and damp, short strands falling down to cling his temples.</p>
<p>He skulked through the shadows of the attic room, his face alarmingly stern. A thin coat of sweat clung to the creases over his face, the outlines of his preferred black paint smudging at the edges of his eye sockets. He harshly panted out in subdued breaths, clenching his teeth together to ensure he kept himself from breathing too loud. His gloved hands were balled by his sides, his black shirt and braces dishevelled and loose, like he had slung them on hurriedly. His slim black trousers were painful for him as he crept through the pitch black, his eyes briefly casting a dark look to the left, towards the tall stain-glass of Nihil - he beheld an expression of contemplation but from his hardened stare, there was likely something a lot more <em>conniving </em>about the thoughts prowling around his mind.</p>
<p>Moonlight settled over his chiselled features and emphasized the pale glow of his skin as he blindly took a few steps further into the room, his expression unnerving as he continued to glare at the stain-glass window with underlying contempt for the young, handsome Nihil that was depicted in the shards of kaleidoscopic glass. The subtle patter of rain outside began to settle across each pane and it soothed him slightly - it allowed him to breathe a little heavier now that there wasn't complete silence, but he was still incredibly cautious.</p>
<p>His white eye flashed with warning as his gaze settled over the darkness of the room, his mind trying to remember the layout of the space - after all, he wasn't accustomed to seeing the alchemist's attic under the thick veil of night. His eyes seemed to adjust to the murky atmosphere of the place as he crept across the central space, his haggered breaths shortening as he veered towards the right... it seemed that he was very much set on venturing towards the bed. The sound of rain quietened off now that he was travelling in the opposite direction to the window, and he scaled the few steps, heading towards the bulk of the room's space. He spied the faint outline of bedcovers bundled up once he had reached the foot of the bed and it caused his heart to pound wildly - for it was proof that there was someone residing underneath.</p>
<p>He shuffled towards one side of the bed, the soles of his shoes scuffing quietly across the ground, a few of the floorboards creaked out with exhaustion and his breathing quickened as a consequence. The rustle of bedsheets caused him to freeze mid-movement and he tensed his muscles to keep himself as still as he could. He waited patiently, holding up a gloved-hand to cover over his mouth as the sheets continued to rustle, a small, weary moan causing him to briefly close his eyes as a warm shiver coated the bottom of his spine.</p>
<p>"Kind of... <em>creepy </em>to sneak into someone's room this late at night, don't you think?" the familiar, hoarse voice of Aemelia Vial piped up, a series of incoherent, tired groans following up her mumble of indifferent words.</p>
<p>He stayed completely stationary, holding his balance gracefully in the hopes she couldn't spot his presence at the foot of her bed. He hoped to <em>Lucifer </em>that she was merely testing the water - he felt he had been <em>careful </em>enough and <em>quiet </em>enough not to arouse any suspicion, so he kept himself silent and still, masking his breaths of anticipation with one of his leather-clad palms. He lightly frowned as a muffled sound of punching filled the expectant silence, and it inferred that she was likely plumping up one of the many pillows she liked having behind her head whenever she slept.</p>
<p>"I know that you're here, Cardinal."</p>
<p>He dropped the glove from his face and let out an enormous string of deep breaths, the wooden floor creaking beneath him as he balanced himself out with relief. His eyes latched onto the bundle of bedsheets and one of his legs outstretched towards the right side of the bed - his hands began to tremble due to her awareness of his presence... apparently, he had never anticipated her detecting him so <em>easily.</em></p>
<p>"Did you <em>run </em>here or something? You sound <em>knackered." </em>she muttered with a heavy sigh, his eyes widening as he could just about recognise the outline of her silhouette through the thin blanket of darkness. "You're more than welcome to sit down, can't have you stood there gawping at me all night like you're some sort of... <em>paralysis demon."</em></p>
<p>Copia's eyes slashed through the blackness, his cold body acclimatizing to the very obvious warmth that radiated from the bed, and presumably, her body. He swallowed audibly and she shuffled upwards, adjusting the sheets over her person as she searched the darkness for him with her squinting eyes. She waited patiently as his footsteps slowly thumped across the floorboards, his approach long and purposely arduous, her heart pumping slightly faster due to her heightened sense of caution.</p>
<p>Once he was stood by the right side of the bed, he seemed to straighten out of his cowardly stoop, raising a glove up to tousle his fingers through his soaked strands of brown hair. Now that he had neared, he could see a slicing streak of moonlight reflecting in her black irises, her maroon hair gleaming like the shine of tepid blood as it sat over each of her shoulders, untidy and free, the tips settling below the bare skin of her collarbone. His mismatched eyes faltered as his attention swayed from the unusual, vulnerable sight of her and he exhaled sharply, fixating on the rise and fall of the sheets, which was in sync with every time she breathed.</p>
<p>"I should have visited you long ago." he confessed in a low, raspy whisper, his breaths a little more heavy once he cautiously stooped down to subtly slide off each of his winkle-pickers, each sole lightly thudding over the floor.</p>
<p><em>"Visited?" </em>she murmured incoherently, clearly not following his train of thought at all. It was clear she had been in deep slumber not so long ago, and although she had sensed Copia's presence, she couldn't seem to shake off the desire to succumb to sleep once again.</p>
<p>"I have had enough of all the workings of a cardinal, Miss Vial. I wish to only work with you instead." he breathed out honestly with dark, mysterious undertones. "You know me as the Devil does. And the Devil has <em>whispered </em>to me... and has made me realise the existence of things I have yearned to touch, to grasp, to <em>ah... </em>feel - "</p>
<p>"Is this a fuckin' <em>booty call?" </em>she grumbled out, tightly clutching the bedsheets to her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut with a scowl.</p>
<p>"... are booty calls a <em>regular </em>thing... <em>or?"</em></p>
<p>"They <em>can </em>be, I think. Don't really know." she answered emptily, blinking her eyes in order to try and crack them back open.</p>
<p>"Alrighty... <em>now where was I?" </em>he murmured thoughtfully, bashfully pushing back a few resistant damp strands of chestnut hair from the sides of his temples. <em>"Ah </em>yes - <em>ahem </em>- He told me of the passionate embrace of darkness, darkness that only <em>you </em>can offer me. For quite some time I have... spilled so much seed over the thought of you that I - "</p>
<p>"Just have a cold shower." she interrupted in an indifferent tone, a confused frown grazing her brow as her eyes dropped shut again.</p>
<p>"No, Miss Vial, I <em>cannot. </em>It is our <em>fate." </em>he responded passionately, his eyes blazing through the darkness to study the luminated highlights of her milky white cheeks and wine-red tresses. He had clear intentions from the mischief present in his irises, but she was still too exhausted to open her eyes, and she missed the scheming expression he adorned as a consequence.</p>
<p><em>"Fate? </em>What on <em>Earth </em>does <em>your libido </em>have to do with <em>fate?" </em>she chuckled out, her eyes actually flashing open as she snorted out in amusement. Her reaction caused him to abruptly swallow, his arms subtly lowering down so that his gloves could conceal the crotch of his suit pants.</p>
<p>"Sure," she continued in cynical disbelief, staring down at the warm covers that clung to her form with an amused smirk. "I bet you say that to <em>all </em>the Siblings. I know how <em>conniving </em>you can be, Copia. Go on, <em>bugger off. </em>I'm sure some <em>sister </em>would be more than happy to satisfy you."</p>
<p>"It is not <em>myself </em>that I wish to <em>satisfy." </em>he retorted hastily, his voice straining to hum over a whisper. "It is <em>you </em>that fuels <em>me, </em>no?"</p>
<p>She was silent when her smirk fell at his words, her charcoal eyes trailing up to meet his with reluctance. Their glances sliced through the darkness and she could see the sincerity and hope in his expression as he hunched slightly to ensure he held onto her attention. She rolled her eyes in defeat and huffed out loudly, flinging up the edge of the bedsheets on her left, loudly patting the free space on the bed beside her.</p>
<p>"C'mon, climb in. I suppose I'd better try and <em>bore </em>you to death until you realise that you're making a terrible mistake." she said in an accepting tone - his expression had made her cave in the end.</p>
<p>"I can assure you that... I am certainly <em>not." </em>he stated quietly and confidently, momentarily flicking his eyes from her to focus on moving towards the free space she had offered him before she decided to change her mind.</p>
<p>The mattress bounced gently as he keenly climbed up and slid next to her, the inviting warmth of her was far more desirable now that he was sat beside her. As he shuffled side-to-side to find the most comfortable position to sit up in, she draped the rest of the bedsheets over him, hoping that the cosiness would settle his unanticipated desire for her. Her head slumped back down over her array of pillows and she let out a half-tired sigh, slightly put off from sleep now that she had a freezing cold cardinal sat beside her. It was almost a minute before either of them had settled into the situation, and it was clear that it really hadn't taken Copia that long to become <em>extremely comfortable </em>at all.</p>
<p>As Aemelia's mouth parted to persuade him to <em>reconsider </em>his desires, he had closed the small space between them to lower his head until his mouth closely lingered by her left ear. She inhaled sharply at his actions and she was so taken by surprise that she found she had no choice of words to halt him. His warm, luring breath effortlessly blinded her to every form of reason and the coldness of his form seeped into the sheets covering her left side.</p>
<p>"I long to display my <em>foresight, </em>if you would allow me to?" he whispered profoundly, expelling a shallow exhale over the strands of burgundy hair that concealed the skin of her ear.</p>
<p>"Your fore-<em>what?!"</em></p>
<p>"It is a simple <em>yes </em>or <em>no, </em>Aemelia." he continued in a low, subdued tone, ignoring her stubborn astonishment. "Will you allow me to pleasure you?"</p>
<p>"I-I'd rather you didn't." she replied nervously, her apprehension obvious as she turned her head so that she could face him. He kept quiet and lowered his head with disappointment, but he nodded in understanding, already skirting himself back towards the edge of the bed. She reached out and grabbed his forearm, her breath catching once she realised his sleeve hadn't been rolled down as she had thought. His skin was freezing cold, like he'd been out in the downpour outside or creeping around the cold corridors of the Ministry... from this alone, she could only presume that his mind was still failing to quieten during the night. He raised his head to face her and shuffled back to his previous position, filling most of the space between them until their noses were barely touching.</p>
<p>"You're afraid." he breathed instinctively, recognising the familiar flicker of fear in her eyes as she stared at him. He could tell she was struggling to keep her cool - after all, it was becoming quite an intimate situation.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Afraid of <em>me?" </em>he questioned a little louder, knitting his eyebrows together with uncertainty. Her eyes widened at his question and she appeared to share his worry for a split second.</p>
<p>"What? <em>No, </em>of course not... I... I just... "</p>
<p>"Perhaps I should explain what I mean by... <em>pleasuring </em>you." he cut in swiftly, which caused her to let out a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>"Yeah... I... think that would probably help."</p>
<p>He responded by silently shoving the bedsheets away from his person, and pushed each one of his braces from his shoulders so that they slackened to settle over the sides of his thighs. He scooted away from her slightly to shuffle across and face her more directly. His leather gloves found their way over her shoulders, slight weight adding to his pressure as he leaned towards her, his nose almost brushing the end of her own as he faced her eye to eye. He held his grip on her shoulders and smoothly straddled his legs over her lower-half, all the while keeping his eyes upon her own.</p>
<p>"I don't want to fuck you, Aemelia." he whispered softly, his expression intense and sincere as Miss Vial found herself hesitantly transfixed to his mismatched stare. "I want to <em>make love </em>to you... there is quite a difference, you know? And... ever since you set me up that <em>April Fools... </em>oh, I have wanted to <em>pleasure </em>you until you were writhing in ecstasy."</p>
<p>He paused before going on, not daring to blink or he would miss the intricacies of her reaction - he wished to savour every little bit of this experience, it seemed. Her black eyes beheld a soft expression and her brow furrowed with concern as she continued to stare back at him, her breaths a lot more deeper now that he was purposely drawing out his hesitation.</p>
<p>"Why are you so afraid of me pleasuring you, Aemelia?" he murmured in a kind, warm tone, her frown deepening from how easily he had discovered the true source of her bother. "You have no need to be afraid, I assure you. You are in the most... <em>able </em>of hands... they are <em>dexterous </em>in <em>all manner </em>of ways..."</p>
<p>His breath hung in his throat when the clasps of his braces clicked as he parted his legs a little more. He tensely pincered his thighs around the sides of her legs to hold her firmly in place. Once he was sure she was going to stay there, he raised himself up slightly like he was readjusting his position for some reason. He shuffled up to balance his weight on his shins, looming over her with a menacing expression that plainly told her how much he was attracted to her in that moment. She could feel the subtle pulse of something that was unmistakably <em>hot</em> through the sheets clinging to her skin, but she resisted the urge to investigate and started to sweat with apprehension as a consequence.</p>
<p>"Please do not feel so concerned, Miss Vial." he assured knowingly, his gloves creaking as he cautiously squeezed and rubbed her tense shoulders. "Like I said... it is <em>you </em>that I wish to pleasure, to <em>gratify </em>for the night. Or... ah... <em>longer, </em>if you would permit me to. Two hellish fuels coming together as one would certainly be an <em>enthralling </em>experience but... we would need to <em>build up </em>to such a thing and... I do not think we have enough <em>cocaine </em>on these grounds to deal with any <em>eh... after effects, </em>you know?"</p>
<p>She gave him an unusually small smile and nodded her head despite the fact she was internally chastising herself for feeling so <em>content </em>with his desire for her. Even though she hadn't said a word, her smile had been enough for him, for he smirked proudly and carefully dropped his hands from her to reach them towards the black fabric covering his chest.</p>
<p>The air was abruptly - and <em>peculiarly </em>- humid as he began to loosen a few of his shirt's buttons, each side of fabric falling away from the fastenings to reveal a generous slither of neck and torso skin. Once he was happy that he was a little cooler, he slid off each of his gloves, laying each one over the bedsheets behind him. His hands were freezing cold despite his perspiring form, and he lowered himself to lean back, perching himself lightly over her shins.</p>
<p>He confidently ran each of his callous hands over the sable sheets, his fingertips thoroughly caressing the shapely legs underneath. Her legs were strong and sturdy and he hummed in approval, carefully leaning himself forwards until the tips of their noses were touching. His bare hands travelled higher, until they grasped at the crumpled sheets clutching to the sides of her waist. His thumbs began to knead the material in a slow, firm fashion and he exhaled quietly, his eyes searching hers for any sign of protest - but she only wore an expression of curious suspense, which only encouraged his desire to satisfy her further.</p>
<p>"Mm... so tense... " he murmured lightly, continuing to kneel across the width of her shins as he spread out his fingers to cover more area of her abdomen. "I will make sure that changes, ah?"</p>
<p>His massaging paused and he shuffled even closer, dipping his head down so that he could trace the tip of his nose upwards to brush the full length of her nose bridge. He inhaled sharply and his hands scarcely stroked around the sides of her waist before they gently clasped around the warm sheets that obscured the skin of her lower back.</p>
<p>"I require you to be <em>composed, </em>Miss Vial." he continued in a husky voice, looking at her with intense, glinting irises before he gently lowered his head, his eyes falling closed as his lips grazed over the skin of her mouth. "Everything will become a lot... <em>easier </em>for you once you give in to me... <em>trust me..."</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Mysterious Voices and a Nameless Sister</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was approaching an hour past midnight when Aemelia Vial jumped awake. She threw the heavy black bedcovers away from herself as heat swarmed over her entire form. She gasped out and immediately swivelled herself around to perch on the edge of the mattress, her hands clapping around her clammy, pale face as she leaned her head down to rest over her lap. Her loose burgundy hair draped at the sides of her head as she squeezed her eyelids shut, frowning with apprehension as she tried to make sense of the strange, lucid nightmare she had just been pulled out of.</p>
<p>It hadn't been the peculiar scenario of the dream that had unsettled her, nor had it been the presence of Copia. It was the fact that she had rather <em>appreciated </em>the intimate attention she'd received from him during the dream that truly chilled her to her core. She let out a shallow exhale and she found her form finally cooling down due to the invasive autumn air chilling the bare skin of her arms and legs.</p>
<p>She sat there for quite a few minutes, trying to understand how the dream had felt so <em>authentic </em>- she could remember it so <em>vividly, </em>it wasn't like any dream she had ever had before. She could recall the sight, sound and feel of every little detail like it was a genuine <em>memory, </em>rather than a spontaneous nightmare born out of the dark recesses of her subconscious. She dropped her hands from her face and hugged her arms around herself for warmth, bunching up the baggy black fabric of a <em>Judas Priest </em>shirt she adorned over her torso.</p>
<p>It seemed that her awakening had been a <em>fortunate circumstance, </em>for a strong sequence of clacking footsteps echoed around the halls outside the door of her attic. She froze to listen intently, her head tilting towards the direction of the door. It wasn't often that she was awake at this time - even if she had nightmares, she slept heavily throughout them - and for all she knew, such heavy footsteps may have been a common occurrence at that particular time of night...</p>
<p>However, her suspicions only grew when she finally remembered that it was the night before <em>Halloween... </em>as much as her mind was jumping to conclusions, she started to wonder whether the time of year had any significance to the sounds she was hearing outside. Her concern on that matter increased as she slid from the bed and blindly grabbed the closest pair of suit trousers from the towering accumulation of dark clothing in front of the record player. As she slapped from foot to foot to hurriedly shrug them on, her obsidian eyes widened and her ears pricked up at the sudden flood of eerie whispers layering over the loud footsteps outside.</p>
<p>At the abundance of noise, her mind began to wander to things she would have rather <em>forgotten </em>about - namely, the tall, grotesque vampires lurking within the Ministry's undercroft. She had been monitoring them for many months now and they had seemed quite dormant considering how much <em>devastation </em>such creatures were capable of dishing out...</p>
<p>Her breath lingered as white vapour in the air as she bent down and felt around the floor for something, muttering curses to herself now that she was eager to investigate the sounds outside. She was very much hoping it was <em>nothing </em>to do with any blood-sucking parasites, but there was no way of knowing if she stalled herself any longer. Soon, she found the items she was searching the darkness for - her reliable black oxfords - and slipped each shoe onto a bare foot, tying the laces as tightly as possible.</p>
<p>She sped up her pace and dashed down the small set of steps to the central area of the attic space, darting towards the coat hooks beside the door. She yanked down her sharp black blazer and quickly shoved her arms into the sleeves, tugging the fabric of the lapels to ensure it was snugly fitted to her form. It seemed she had learnt from her previous encounter in the undercroft - for there was now a wind-up torch hung adjacent to the hooks for her jackets, and she reached up to snag the flash-light into her right palm. She quickly wound up the device as forcefully as she could and swiftly exited the attic space, eager to investigate the unusual noises that were troubling her far too much.</p>
<p>The shadows of the corridor were unusually muggy and she could practically feel mittens of darkness reaching towards her - without any hesitation, she flicked on the torch in her right hand, a clinical, fearsome beam of white light spewing out to brighten the path before her. She narrowed her black eyes in speculation when nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary - the only movement was from faint dust particles that were slowly floating their way to the ground below. The strange footsteps and whispers still persisted despite the lack of any visual peculiarities, and she already felt her feet traipsing in the direction of their source.</p>
<p>To keep herself completely alert, she raised her right arm upwards until the beam of the flash-light was almost exactly adjacent to the side of her face. Her strides were cautious and slow at first, but once she headed down the narrow staircase to the main floor of the old complex, her impatience took hold, and she began to speed her pace into a jog. The sounds only crept up in volume slightly when she passed the door to the apothecary, and it was even the same later, when she passed by the locked door of Copia's office. The change in volume was subtle but it was enough for her to press on, ensuring she paid full attention to the labyrinth of Ministry corridors... she didn't plan on getting <em>lost </em>like the last time she had explored the hallways at the dead of night.</p>
<p>Her mind cast back to that very night, and she swallowed thickly, feeling like she was only repeating the curiosity of that particular unsettling night. Her pace only seemed to speed up some more before she arrived at the end of the old passage, and she actually paused before crossing over into the threshold of the newer complex.</p>
<p>Her ears pricked up and her black irises followed the direction of the flittering noises - they were much louder now, and much more <em>distinguishable </em>which caused her stomach to churn with apprehension. They were echoed gasps and subtle snickers, incomprehensible moans and bickering whispers of mischief that peaked now and then, giving away the source's snide, salacious intent. From the rich tones and strained layers of the breathy voices, Aemelia could only assume there was some kind of discreet altercation taking place... though the source was completely <em>failing </em>at the attempt of discretion.</p>
<p>Miss Vial's frown deepened and her jaw set with concern - she <em>had </em>to find out what was causing such frantic whisperings, <em>had </em>to find out how they were echoing through every corridor in the entire damned place... she braced herself and huffed out as she gave in to her curiosity, propelling herself forwards into a determined jog, the stark opal glare of the torch cutting through the shadows with reassuring ease.</p>
<p>The clatter of her shoes' soles bounced from the marble-clad floor to the marble-clad walls - her attempt at stealth was immediately shattered, but then again, it was doubtful whether she had truly wished to be so <em>subtle. </em>After all, the sounds were infuriating her, for she couldn't even place them to any <em>beings </em>she knew of... it was then that she considered they were not from any strange, supernatural beings at all, perhaps they were merely from a set of plain old <em>human beings...</em></p>
<p>As her jogging persisted and breaths of effort began to escape her, it wasn't long before she reached yet another identical hallway to the one she had previously left behind... only this time, there was certainly something <em>different. </em>As she jetted forwards, heels smacking, burgundy locks swishing through the air behind her head, the eager whispers and giggles seemed to ease until they became quiet and airy - this prompted the alchemist to skid to an abrupt halt over the slippy floor, her hand clenching around the black torch fiercely - the last thing she wanted now was to be left without a <em>light source...</em></p>
<p>At first, the hallway seemed to be like any other in the newer complex, marble-clad and immaculate... until she spied an unusual sight located on the wall to her left. There were a couple of steps crafted from wrought-iron, which stretched up towards a rather fascinating door that was raised quite a way up from the level of the hallway. That alone was strange to her, but even the door was unlike any other she had seen around the building - it looked fairly new, ebony with a sleek matte finish. As she took a few paces to stand before the bottom step, she could even smell the poignant stench of varnish - she was certainly correct about the door being <em>new...</em></p>
<p>Now that the door had grabbed her attention, she hadn't realised that the strange whispering had now seemingly <em>subsided. </em>She lowered the torch but directed the beam of light towards the door-frame, cautiously hopping up the few steps in order to study it more closely. She hunched down slightly, scanning the light over the wood of the door, her frown deepening as an array of possible explanations darted about in her mind.</p>
<p>She hovered the light over the door-handle... which appeared to be the tell-tale that it must have led to somewhere unusually <em>important. </em>It matched the style of the iron steps behind her, but it had twists of silver wrapped into the lever of the handle and the keyhole was <em>abnormally broad </em>like it been crafted for an overly sized key.</p>
<p>She inhaled sharply and rolled her eyes, it hadn't taken much for her to decide that she was <em>sick </em>of feeling so curious - she merely acted on impulse and took a last step forwards, so that she could simply pull down the handle. It hadn't been stiff or locked as she had anticipated, instead, it quietly creaked <em>open...</em></p>
<p>Her black eyes widened with wonder as she pushed forwards and clicked off her flash-light, the door silently permitting her entrance. She confidently stepped inside before the full contents of the room was casually unveiled to her, too curious to consider any consequences of her actions. She briefly swivelled around to quietly shut the door behind her, then quickly spun back to study the room she had entered.</p>
<p>Although darkness swamped the place, it certainly didn't stop the dim rays of moonlight from flooding in through the stain-glass of towering, arched windows located to the far left. Her eyes were drawn there first, attracted to the thought of how tall the ceiling must have been in order to accommodate such extravagant panes of glass. She tipped her head back to peek upwards, but to her disappointment, the shadows were too thick for her to distinguish anything about the ceiling above her. She crept further into the foreign place, the briefest golden embers of dead flames catching her eye - they gleamed faintly from the opaque expanse of wall space between the two tall windows and her nostrils flared now that she could smell the smouldering remnants of a log-fire that had recently been snuffed out.</p>
<p>Her shoes lightly tapped over the tiled flooring as she persisted on investigating further. She headed towards the fading embers she had spotted, hoping that such a location would offer a little more light from the windows in order for her to see better. Before she got much further however, she halted, finding that her eyes had already started to adjust enough for her to make out a lot more highlights and outlines through the sheet of darkness. She could just about see two curved outlines of what she assumed to be a pair of stylish sofas and frowned, trying to make sense of the intriguing room she had happened to enter. The two sofas were opposite one another and symmetrical to the two imposing windows, or so it seemed, it may have simply been an illusion that was a consequence of the darkness.</p>
<p>As Aemelia took another few careful steps towards the furniture she had discovered, a high moan of exhaustion came from the sofa next to her left side and she stiffened, tightly clutching the flash-light to her chest. She held her breath for a good few seconds and worriedly observed the room before her, gritting her teeth as she heard fabric rustling and grazing over plush velvet. Another contented sound emerged, only this time it was in the form of a sigh, and from the series of subtle breaths that followed, Aemelia decided that she was in the presence of someone that was <em>asleep.</em></p>
<p>Already, that was enough to tempt her into turning around to flee the place, but she pressed on, knowing she wouldn't feel satisfied until she at least had <em>some form </em>of understanding about the room she had stumbled upon. The rhythmic breathing told her the person was <em>definitely </em>asleep and she kept her movements slow and calculated, lowering her stance to ensure she had more control of her body. She eventually reached the edge of the sofa on the left and leaned down, trying to study the person lazily slumped over its pillows, hoping it would help her understand whatever had drawn her there.</p>
<p>To her surprise, from what she could see, it certainly <em>did </em>help her to understand at least <em>something.</em></p>
<p>For there, lying over the cushions, was a young sister, the faint rays of blue moonlight shining over the woman's dark complexion, highlighting the angles of her face and the skin of her bare arms and legs. As Aemelia's eyes trailed from the unexpected presence of the slumbering sister, they lingered upon the stark crimson blanket that the woman was snuggled beneath... even in the shadows, it was clear to Aemelia that it was no <em>normal </em>blanket - the shape of the fabric was <em>far </em>too distinctive, and it was not nearly enough to cover the sister's entire form. She could tell that fact quite easily from the woman's unnatural sleeping position, and she narrowed her eyes in contemplation.</p>
<p>Due to the crimson material alone, Miss Vial knew <em>exactly </em>where she must have intruded... for there was only <em>one person </em>she could think of that had a passionate taste for bright red tailcoats<em>. </em>As her frown deepened and her eyes lost their sense of concern - knowing that she must have been present in <em>Copia's </em>living quarters - her attention was drawn to a neatly folded pile of garments that were precariously balanced over one of the arm's of the sofa... and it really didn't take much else for her to realise that such clothes probably belonged to the sleeping sister.</p>
<p>She raised her brows at what both the sister's presence and the neat pile of clothes silently inferred - but she was hardly <em>surprised </em>at all. Even if the cardinal and the slumbering sister had been recently engaged in intimate activities, it still did not account for the strange phenomenon of the whispering voices she had heard not so long ago.</p>
<p>Figuring she'd found out more facts than she had truly wished to - and not necessarily ones that were <em>useful </em>- she quickly swivelled on the spot, deciding it was probably best to leave. She hadn't wished to intrude, and felt a little strange for even <em>setting foot </em>in Copia's quarters, let alone <em>lurking... </em>she quickly retraced her footsteps towards the door, and hurried her pace as she crossed the large expanse of room to exit as quickly and quietly as she could.</p>
<p>She cautiously pulled the door shut and hoped that the small thud would go unnoticed as she discreetly slotted it back in its rightful place behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut and her eyebrows knitted when she leaned back against the ebony wood of the door, expelling a deep sigh of anxious relief.</p>
<p>Her relief was only brief however, for the <em>last </em>thing Aemelia Vial had expected was the scratchy, obnoxious sound of a throat being cleared. In a panic, the alchemist's muscles tensed and she winced, stiffly raising her arm in front of her to point the flash-light towards the direction of the sound. She confidently flicked the switch and simply cracked open her eyes, wearing a grimace of concern as the beam illuminated the person stood before her.</p>
<p>Stark white fabric around a woman's face glared and the sister raised up a bare hand to shield her eyes from the blinding flash of the torch. Miss Vial's worry immediately dropped and she almost seemed <em>disappointed </em>that it wasn't anything intimidating - she merely raised a brow at the sister as she lowered her flash-light to her hip. The white of the sister's habit stuck out like a sore-thumb even in the darkness of the corridor and Aemelia began to wonder how she hadn't realised the woman's presence sooner...</p>
<p>The sister crossed her arms over the black garment covering her chest and slowly ascended the last iron step, so that she was on level ground with the alchemist - who was still heavily leaning against the ebony door with puzzled obsidian eyes. The sister slowly shook her head in disapproval, and from the faint glow of the flash-light, Aemelia suddenly found the woman to be somewhat <em>familiar... </em>the sister had fair fawn skin and a sharp, angular face with deep set russet irises - irises that were already <em>scrutinising </em>Aemelia's every move. Her lips curled into a sneer as she briefly acknowledged the flash-light with clear disdain, until she flicked her eyes back up to lay her hawk-like gaze upon Miss Vial's neutral expression.</p>
<p>"It is <em>forbidden </em>for <em>anyone </em>to enter a chaplain's lodgings without an invitation." the sister scolded in a firm tone that echoed from wall to wall, envy and venom displayed as opal spikes in her russet eyes due to the beam of the flash-light. "Yet it is <em>obscene </em>for a non-believer to do so... <em>who do you think you are?"</em></p>
<p>The sister's hardened irises dropped from Aemelia's features again, but this time, to study the pair of metal symbols pinned to the lapels of Miss Vial's blazer. For some reason, the sister casually rolled her eyes like the Grucifix and pentagram were merely a pathetic <em>fashion statement </em>to her and suddenly Aemelia Vial was incredibly tempted to blind the woman with her flash-light again... but she was truly <em>above </em>doing such a petty thing.</p>
<p>"Well that's quite a <em>question </em>isn't it, sister?" Aemelia finally replied in a hushed, respectful tone, unlike the sister stood before her. "Who are <em>you? </em>Because I can't say that I can put a name to you... but you obviously seem to know <em>exactly </em>who <em>I </em>am."</p>
<p>"An <em>imposter! </em>That's who <em>you are, </em>you are merely here for the conveniences of your <em>talent </em>and nothing more!" the sister rasped with a scowl, her voice a lot more quiet now that Miss Vial had subtly reminded her of respecting the sleep of others. "You have no real <em>purpose </em>here at the Ministry, for you do not <em>believe, </em>and if you do not believe, <em>the Old One </em>will <em>never </em>assign your role."</p>
<p>Aemelia had the tempting urge to smirk, but she refrained from doing so, and furrowed her brow instead, lightly pushing herself away from Copia's door to stand up straight. She brought up her right hand to settle the flash-light diagonally across her baggy t-shirt, causing her face to gain an eerie under-glow.</p>
<p>"You still haven't answered my question, sister." Miss Vial stated emptily, her black eyes impenetrable as she effortlessly held the preaching sister's accusing stare.</p>
<p>"You are not worthy enough to be provided with an answer, <em>imposter.</em> You have broken a <em>rule, </em>one that is <em>unforgivable - "</em></p>
<p>Aemelia raised an eyebrow at the sister's strange contempt for her and blatantly smirked, mirth present in her dark eyes.</p>
<p>"Hm, somehow I <em>doubt </em>that, sister. Your church has been <em>ever </em>so kind and <em>lenient </em>to me so far, in all <em>manner </em>of ways... " she explained honestly, the pallid skin of her features haunting due to the glow of the torch. "I'm surprised that such an avid <em>worshipper </em>is lecturing me about so-called <em>rules... </em>in the <em>dark </em>of all places, is this some kind of attempt at <em>conversion </em>or <em>what?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>"Of course not."</em>
</p>
<p>"Then what has brought you out into these dangerous, dark corridors, all <em>alone?" </em>Miss Vial questioned, narrowing her eyes with heightened suspicion... she only anticipated a <em>lie </em>being the sister's response.</p>
<p>"I am night watch."</p>
<p>"Ha, <em>sure, </em>and I'm the local <em>Sandman." </em>she quipped cynically with a doubtful sigh, already stepping forwards to pass by the stern woman. "Don't worry sister, I promise I won't tell <em>anyone </em>that you were here. But just remember that I know <em>you were... </em>and <em>loitering </em>outside a cardinal's private lodgings without an <em>invitation </em>too... we can't have your vows <em>at stake</em>, can we?"</p>
<p>She roughly brushed by the sister so that she could slowly descend the few iron steps, smirking to herself in amusement. If the sister had wanted to <em>scare </em>or <em>bully </em>the alchemist, Aemelia felt that the sly hint of <em>blackmail </em>would hopefully force the sister to rethink her intentions, and perhaps even her <em>life choices...</em></p>
<p>"Goodnight, <em>Nameless Sister."</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. His Restless Hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Copia was in his usual spot for a weekday afternoon - hunched over his office bureau, hurriedly signing off forms, skimming letters, deeply sighing with discontent, pausing occasionally to take sickly sips of his cold coffee... it was clear that paperwork was the <em>last </em>thing he wished to be doing on the day of Halloween, but he had very little say in the matter.</p><p>To make up for how dull his daily duties would be, he had spent most of the morning decorating his office to remind him of the night to come, and it was only <em>just </em>keeping him <em>optimistic</em> due to how mundane his work was in that moment. He'd cut paper-chains - out of <em>highly important </em>scriptures - into silhouettes of bats and ghosts, which he'd then mounted across the length of the wall behind him. Small jack-o-lanterns were in place of the usual wax candles, each one adorning various disgruntled expressions. Bats were folded out of black felt and pinned to the sloped ceiling. A string of small bulbs had been fixed to the arched frame of the only window and they were glowing a subtle purple. Skeletal-themed bowls of candies were even laid out over various towers of papers - and noticeably, each one had already been <em>rifled </em>through.</p><p>The decorations may have been small additions, but due to the effort he had spent that morning, it was clear that Copia <em>thrived </em>on this particular season and he was in high spirits for the festivities ahead of him.</p><p>Aemelia Vial quietly observed from her place by the open door, crossing her arms over her chest. She wore a small smile as she leaned back against the door-frame, admiring the seasonal additions he had added to the room before she rested her gaze upon him. He was seemingly lost in whatever paperwork he was trawling through, unaware that the alchemist was now present and settled on studying the expression of concentration he held.</p><p>Her mind was already intent on lingering on the strange events of the night prior - how she hadn't found a real answer to the manifestation of mysterious voices, how she had instead discovered Copia's living quarters and his <em>evening entertainment...</em></p><p>Aemelia wondered if Siblings <em>often </em>visited him. If it was a regular occurrence, he was determined to keep knowledge of such interests to himself as he had never brought up anything of the sort whenever he was in conversation with <em>her </em>- which was surprising, because she was almost <em>certain </em>it would be something he would have happily <em>bragged </em>about.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes in contemplation as her smile fell, the expression of focus on his face the perfect <em>bluff, </em>for she realised that the escapades with the Siblings must be merely <em>practical </em>to him<em>, </em>just like the paperwork that was victim to his gaze at that very moment. She supposed that her theory was a plausible reason for why he wasn't surrounded by subordinates all the time, and why so many Siblings would go out of their way to <em>avoid </em>him... somehow certain things were starting to become a little more clear to her.</p><p>"Good afternoon, Miss Vial." Cardinal greeted, his voice slightly muffled due to the fact he was still peering down at the papers over his desk. Aemelia raised her brows in interest, moving from her leaning stance to enter his office. She thought she had been stealthy enough to go unnoticed, but he was more aware of his surroundings than she had thought.</p><p>She could already sense that he was distant today, perhaps even <em>cold, </em>due to the lack of enthusiasm in his body language. He didn't wait for her to reply and continued on, not bothering to look up from the document he was reading.</p><p>"How is your day going? I bet there have been a few Siblings who have asked <em>wicked </em>things of you, ah?" he remarked quietly with a single empty chuckle. It seemed like he was intentionally avoiding her gaze as he was still focusing on his paperwork.</p><p>"Yeah... Halloween has brought... <em>interesting </em>requests, to say the least." she replied simply, pausing over the paper-clad floor before slumping down into a paper-strewn leather chair which was facing towards the bureau. "Many have been rather sad."</p><p>Her black eyes pierced into him as he seemed to hesitate on a particular word he was reading, then he inhaled sharply, widening his eyes when he finally exhaled.</p><p>"Many will be hoping for a visit from a lost loved one tonight, yes. A <em>wasted hope." </em>he spoke softly with the slightest hint of sourness, the glint of alluring insight in his mismatched eyes. "The spirits who <em>do </em>manifest are few, even across the span of this volatile world. For those waiting, it's the worst night of lottery odds."</p><p>She let out a huff of amusement at his unusual negativity and lack of eye contact. It was then that she began to consider that he had perhaps <em>seen </em>her in his quarters last night. It would account for his unusual behaviour, and it really could have been as simple as him attempting to hide the fact he was <em>embarrassed...</em></p><p>"Yeah, their hopes do seem futile." she finally responded softly, searching his features for any cracks in his peculiar guise. "And that's what I've spent most of my morning explaining to people. I can't create <em>better odds, </em>I can only create <em>catalysts</em>... or <em>lotions and potions."</em></p><p>He hummed in quiet agreement, dipping his head down further as he trailed his eyes to the right in order to scan the lines of his paperwork. He let out a deep breath and slowly leaned back into his leather armchair, yet still, his eyes remained on the document laid before him.</p><p>"If only the living considered the souls that have passed more often. Perhaps then they would have more luck." he murmured in a rich tone, entranced by the words he was reading but his mind was squarely on their conversation.</p><p>His reply lingered in her ears and she couldn't help staring at him. She supposed he had made a strong point, humanity was sometimes even self-entitled towards <em>the dead, </em>where had the honour gone? His words had travelled into her ears with bitter undertones, and it only peaked her curiosity - there was <em>far </em>much more to the meanings of his words than she had probably realised.</p><p>"You have plans for later, yes?" Copia piped up swiftly, seemingly eager to change the subject of the conversation. The melancholy emptiness in his voice had disappeared and was replaced with high-pitched curiosity, which caused Aemelia to narrow her eyes with interest.</p><p>"No... at least, nothing that strays from my usual routine."</p><p>His armchair creaked as he leaned further back into the leather cushions to finally raise his head. His mismatched irises were hard and scheming as he stared her dead in the eyes.</p><p><em>"Unacceptable." </em>he snapped sternly with convincing annoyance, the heel of his palm pushing against the paper he had been reading which caused it to fly across the short width of the room. There was something different about his eyes as he glared at her in shock, and as much as the emotion was unusual, there was certainly nothing unsettling about it.</p><p>"You must come to the party, ah? I <em>insist. </em>It is the <em>best </em>night of the year. It would be quite a <em>shame </em>if you weren't there... " he trailed off sadly, furrowing his brow as his cheeks reddened slightly - he'd probably realised how pathetically <em>desperate </em>he sounded.</p><p>"I can't <em>stand </em>parties, Cardinal. I tend to... lose track of my self control. Not a particularly <em>sensible </em>idea, especially now I have something residing within me that I still don't fully understand."</p><p>He failed to hide his disappointment from her, and for some reason she actually started to feel guilty. She couldn't help disliking a large gathering of boisterous people that she probably wouldn't like... some of the Siblings entertained the notion of having a witches stake on standby for her, so if she <em>did </em>attend, she really wouldn't have been surprised if she ended up existing as a pile of <em>ash </em>before the slow dancing started...</p><p>"I... I understand." he reluctantly accepted with a disappointed sigh, reverting his eyes to the desk, where a fresh piece of paperwork was now situated.</p><p>A deflated silence formed between them, aside from the quiet tinkle of Copia picking out a fresh quill from his writing pot. The faint scratches of the quill's nib over the parchment emerged before any conversation did, and he was avoiding her eyes once again, concentrating on the fresh documents he had to read and inevitably sign. Her obsidian irises pierced into him, she certainly wasn't present to be ignored, so she decided to take the torch and start up another conversation, regardless of his cautious silence.</p><p>"Did you sleep alright last night?" she casually probed, wondering whether her curiosity would stir any change in his temperament - she was really just fishing to see whether he had spotted her poking around his living quarters, but if he also happened to cease being so uptight and distant around her, it would be a comforting bonus.</p><p>A frown etched over his brow and the leather of his armchair creaked as he leaned back into the cushions, his eyes following the stream of his quill before he paused his scribbling to dip the quill's nib into the ink well beside his writing pot.</p><p>"You know that I never do." he grumbled in a mutter, his gaze becoming more intense as he focused on his scribbling. Although his stubborn retort was laced with the rejection he truly felt, his expression remained unchanged and Miss Vial didn't quite grasp that he was still disappointed that she wouldn't be attending the party that evening.</p><p>"I just thought that you'd maybe feel too excited about today to sleep, that's all." she said in warmer tone of voice, sensing he was irritated by the subject of their conversation from the way he was glaring down at the parchment. "I mean... I can see that you're in the spirit of everything already. It must have been difficult for you to sleep when you have so much to look forward to..."</p><p>He hummed with interest but continued to stare at the surface of the bureau as he drew the quill over the parchment. He could tell that she was skirting around what she truly wished to know, but he could sense the compassion in her voice was genuine despite her calculated conversation. His suspicions grew.</p><p>"I did not sleep <em>successfully, </em>Miss Vial, you are correct." he confessed shortly, deciding he would at least <em>entertain </em>her conversation for the time being. "And you are also correct about the <em>excitement </em>too... but it certainly wasn't just the thought of tonight that got my heart <em>racing, </em>you know?"</p><p>He smirked broadly but refrained from lifting his head to face her, working away on his paperwork despite the fact his mind was now completely elsewhere. His answer told her more than she wished to know, and having more knowledge than he realised, she immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was referring to the sister that she had found snuggled up beneath his tailcoat... but he was actually referring to something else <em>entirely.</em></p><p>"How did you sleep, Aemelia?" he asked softly like it was a casual, throw away question, when in truth, her answer would mean more to him than she would ever come to know.</p><p>He had never asked about her sleeping patterns before as he was usually so anxious about his own insomnia to mention anything on the subject. It unnerved her that he was asking her so freely and confidently, and <em>of course, </em>he asked such a question <em>now, </em>the day after she had experienced one of the worst <em>night terrors </em>she had encountered for quite some time.</p><p>"I had a really vivid nightmare, actually." she admitted with a frown, dropping her attention to focus on her lap as she tried to push away the heated memories of the lucid dream. "I could've sworn that it was <em>real... </em>I had some trouble trying to accept reality when I woke up. Horrible, really."</p><p>Cardinal stiffened in his seat, his shoulders tensing as his hands started to tremble due to her confession. He swallowed thickly and accidentally added a little too much pressure to his quill and it loudly snapped in two. The breakage caused a small pool of black ink to spill outwards, spoiling half of the parchment he had been diligently working on.</p><p>"Ah shit..." he muttered, blushing profusely as he used the elbows of his black cassock to mop up the mess he had made. He cleared his throat as he felt her intense, dark eyes upon him and hurriedly reached over to his writing pot to grasp a fresh quill, trying his best to act cool, like he'd <em>planned </em>on making the mess in the first place. He impulsively tossed the soiled parchment in front of him like it was merely a frisbee, and it skimmed dangerously close to Miss Vial's head before it spun out, only adding to the debris of discarded paperwork over the floor.</p><p>"That... <em>eh... </em>sounds very <em>unfortunate, </em>Miss Vial. I am sorry to have reminded you of it." he quickly added, glaring his eyes at a fresh bit of paperwork that had been under the piece that he had discarded. "What... ah... <em>eh... </em>made it so <em>frightening? </em>Did you... <em>remember </em>any of it? <em>Anything at all?"</em></p><p>His peaking voice gave away his nervous curiosity and she narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest.</p><p><em>"No." </em>she lied curtly, sensing that there must have been something <em>more </em>to her night terror than she had realised - especially given the cardinal's blatant interest in the matter.</p><p><em>"N-No? </em>Nothing at all? You said it was <em>vivid, </em>no?" he pressed, peering at her with shining eyes. His distant demeanour was now a distant memory, it seemed, for hope had suddenly returned to him. He yearned for them to explore the notion of her dream further, but it was clear from Miss Vial's expression that she did not.</p><p>She abruptly stood from her seat and side-stepped out of the vicinity of the bureau. She then crouched down slightly to scoop up the soiled letter he had discarded. She held his gaze once she reached her usual stature and lightly placed the parchment beside the new one he was about to work on. She didn't understand the hope in his irises, and simply turned from him, feeling her actions would be enough of an answer to show that she didn't want to spend more time thinking about her nightmare.</p><p>His gaze seemed to grow more longing now that she was facing away from him, and he inhaled sharply to stop himself from uttering something ridiculous. He was hoping that she would turn, hoping that she would continue speaking, hoping that she would change her mind about attending the party...</p><p>But she didn't do any of those things. She merely took a few strides towards the open door and paused, frowning down at the tips of her black oxfords.</p><p>"I hope you enjoy the celebrations tonight." she said softly, resisting the urge to let out a defeated sigh. She then proceeded to the door, all the while feeling Copia's intense gaze upon her. She lingered over the threshold of the door-frame and shot a quick glance over her shoulder.</p><p>His mismatched eyes were drawn to hers immediately, and she seemed pleasantly surprised at the blatant yearning he was displaying in front of her. She wore a small smile and slowly turned her away away, <em>incredibly tempted </em>to say she would join him at the party later... but she thought better of it, and lowered her gaze to the ground, already stepping out into the corridor before he could persuade her otherwise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Suspicious Intentions of Cardinal Cringe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the tedious duties of daytime faded and the full Hunter's Moon finally reigned across the murky, slate blue sky, the Ministry - a striking place dedicated to the teachings and worship of Satan - was rapidly transformed into the <em>ultimate </em>party venue, for the sole purpose of it being the last night in October. The dull practicality of the building was obscured due to the festive adornments and jovial characters that traipsed the hallways. Every crevice of the place <em>embodied </em>the spirit of Halloween.</p><p>The marble-clad corridors were decorated with macabre paper-chains - each link formed from eye-catching ghosts and jack-o-lanterns - and clumps of overly fake cobwebs which draped down from the vaulted ceilings... it was a wonder how anyone had managed to place such things considering the corridors were so <em>tall.</em></p><p>As soon as eight-o-clock hit, the electric lights in each of the hallways fizzed out, forcing anyone who wished to navigate <em>anywhere </em>that night to suffer the ominous, dim flickers of candlelight. The wax candles sat inside wrought iron sconces that were fixed - <em>sparingly </em>- to each wall and although it seemed to be an insignificant touch, it only added to the excitement of most Ministry dwellers.</p><p>Most of the eager party guests were strolling in the same direction, chattering aimlessly due to their excitement. Each of them adorned befitting costumes, some choosing to sport overly provocative outfits, whereas the costumes of others were in the true spirit of horror as they hadn't scrimped on the makeup or the dazzling sprays of fake blood.</p><p>By eight-thirty, the first surge of party guests had filed into the main cathedral. Hundreds of stimulated eyes surveyed the area zealously, drinking in the unusually festive appearance of the unholy worship hall.</p><p>The chequered floor was a vast expanse - the rows of pews that usually sat atop the tiled surface had been shoved either side of the pulpit, stacked on top of one another to ensure that there was enough room for the impromptu dance-floor. Black and crimson drapes were elegantly suspended from the arched ceiling, adding to the aesthetic of the cathedral's staple prophetic tapestries, tapestries that seemed far more <em>fitting </em>now that they were the backdrop to an extravagant Halloween celebration. Paper-chains and thick tubes of cherry red lighting framed the sills of each pane of stain-glass, which caused the edges of the church space to bask in eerie tones of deep red. There was a primal touch too, for along the shortest walls, wooden torches were burning fiercely, the fire slowly cycling through different hues. If anyone dared to look closely enough, they'd probably start to notice the expulsion of something <em>malevolent </em>to complement the invigorating heat from the flames...</p><p>The space beneath the pulpit's platform was filled with a rented music system and a hired disc jockey - who appeared to have a perpetual daunted expression as he focused on the glowing screen of his laptop. Adjacent to the speaker system, were two matching candelabras, which were shaped out of rusting, wiry twists of metal - there were plenty of candle holders dotted about the place, but the two at the front were industrial and imposing, and didn't match the aesthetic of the venue at all. However, Nihil <em>insisted </em>on their presence every single Halloween - it was because he'd been scammed into buying them for an extortionate amount of money decades ago, and he was still trying to get his money's worth by ensuring they were used at every celebration possible.</p><p>However, the abundance of candlelight did end up making quite a difference. Each flickering flame gave the place a warm, inviting atmosphere and heavily implied <em>occult gathering.</em></p><p>To the left of the dance-floor, and closest to the arched entrance, was a questionable - and incredibly <em>clinical </em>- steel table that was abnormally high and appeared to be acting as the bar for the night. A few kind Siblings had volunteered to work the drinks' table for the evening and crates upon crates of various sterilized glasses and bottled beverages were balanced in precarious towers behind them. Luckily, due to the natural chill of the Ministry, there was no fear of the drinks warming...</p><p>To the right of the dance-floor, there was a long oak-wood catering table, elaborately laid out with various platters of indulgent snack-bites and punch-bowls brimming with an array of suspiciously emerald and violet liquids. In the very centre of the table, and set back away from the bustle of the dance-floor, was Nihil's place for the night. He would spend most of the celebration sat upon an extravagant chair - it was crafted out of ebony wood and vaguely resembled the spires and fairings of the Ministry's exterior. Nihil often referred to it as <em>the unhallowed throne</em>, as it was yet another piece of unusual furniture that only seemed to appear during poignant celebrations, but it would <em>always </em>manifest on the night of Halloween.</p><p>By gone nine, flocks of Siblings - and even the most <em>stringent </em>members of the Clergy who were dressed in a assortment of impressive costumes - filled the cathedral from wall to wall. Some gripped refreshing beverages in their hands, whereas others had already decided to bask in the magenta glow of the lighting rig, which hovered over the dance-floor, spewing out great swirling tunnels of flush tones. The guests were finally settling into the atmosphere of the party and there wasn't one disgruntled face to be seen - it seemed that even the most <em>uptight </em>of the bunch were beginning to lose themselves in the tolerant reprieve of celebration...</p><p>And like he had <em>detected </em>the lure of the festive ambience, Cardinal Copia promptly arrived, confidently sauntering through the open archway, decidedly headed towards the area where the drinks were being served. Although the cardinal was overly excited to attend the celebration, he had insisted on arriving quite some time after it had begun - mainly because there was nothing more <em>awkward </em>than the start of a party, but also because he felt it was <em>cooler </em>to be <em>fashionably late...</em></p><p>Sadly, despite his determined strides, he never managed to get to his desired destination, for his arrival stirred up quite a fuss. Considering that he had opted for a fairly <em>distinctive </em>outfit - an immaculate fitted black suit in his preferred style, with a cumbersome matching cape that was neatly fastened with an ornate clip in the curvaceous form of bat wings, and polished winkle-pickers that had silver tips to match - he really shouldn't have been surprised that he had <em>failed </em>at <em>blending in.</em></p><p>His movements abruptly slowed when a few guests rushed towards him, most of them excited to greet him - he blamed their excitement on the presence of <em>alcohol, </em>but he was grateful for the attention nonetheless. He was forced into mingling as they shot out their hands and he shook each one as quickly as he could, hoping that they would leave him in peace so that he could enjoy the party on his own. In any other situation, he would have gladly entertained such attention... so long as they were during his <em>work hours. </em>The eager Siblings didn't seem to grasp that he considered himself <em>off-duty </em>and as more turned towards him, it was clear that they assumed Copia would happily listen to their strange praises or questions relating to Halloween, so long as they merely <em>greeted </em>him...</p><p>To Copia's relief, as he energetically shook hands and continued to nod like he was listening to their requests, he noticed that the rest of the guests were keeping their distance. However, what he had failed to notice, were the few clusters of sisters who subtly rolled their eyes and turned their backs to him - clearly his presence didn't impress <em>them </em>at all...</p><p>Muttering and nodding in encouragement for the diverse group of enthusiastic Siblings to go on, he warily peered around them, trying to scope out the venue as best he could. He hoped the Siblings would understand that he had no interest in whatever they had to say from his silent actions, because he really didn't want to have to <em>scold </em>them for treating him like an <em>advice dispenser.</em></p><p>As the Siblings persisted their keen chatter, oblivious to Copia's lack of interest, he narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of Papa Nihil sat upon the unhallowed throne - despite the intimidating spiky nature of the chair, Copia couldn't help noticing how <em>different </em>it looked this year. Instead of the traditional stone seat that dated back <em>centuries, </em>the seat was now reminiscent of an <em>armchair... </em>if Nihil had actually <em>modified </em>it for his own comfort, it was certainly <em>news </em>to Copia. Traditions were absolutely <em>essential </em>to Nihil... unless they <em>numbed his ass, </em>it seemed.</p><p>He kept his eyes narrowed in curiosity and reluctantly returned his gaze to the gossiping guests in front of him, finally deciding that he'd had enough of their presence. He didn't wish to make a scene or ruin the night for the Siblings too much, so he simply backed a few steps away from them in order to round the group entirely like they weren't even there. Their chatter suddenly cut off and Copia smirked briefly, casually roaming the outskirts of the dance-floor.</p><p>Most heads bowed in respect as he traced the edge of the dancing crowd, and he acknowledged each person with a nod - he really wished that they wouldn't insist on addressing his presence all night, it was a minor annoyance he had whenever there was a Ministry celebration. There would be a time during the night when he would just ignore the irritating formalities, usually after he'd had a few too many glasses of red wine...</p><p>As <em>Neverland </em>by <em>Sisters of Mercy </em>began to play over the speaker system, more guests started to flood to the open space in the centre, the lighting morphing from the magenta atmosphere into carnal violet mists. Arms linked around waists, hips swayed and rolled as the music seemed to take natural hold and permitted them to unleash their bubbling desires.</p><p>Cardinal's eyes skimmed over the body of costumed followers as he left the vicinity of the dance-floor, all of them allowing their sexual energies to be displayed through their movements. He wondered if any of them knew how <em>long </em>the song was - he doubted that they could keep up the <em>intensity </em>for such a prolonged amount of time, and that thought alone seemed to suitably entertain him for the moment as he observed the dance-floor with mirth-filled eyes.</p><p>Tearing his gaze away, he set course for the drinks' table, leaving the dancing to the mass of costumed Siblings. However, his gaze didn't settle on his destination, instead, it settled on Papa Nihil. His feet moved slowly and each step was calculated, even when his superior actually returned the stare. Nihil appeared stern and unimpressed by Copia's presence, and simply shook his head with distaste for Copia's cape-attire. Regardless of the man's cold expression, Cardinal shot his right arm up into the air and frantically waved, which caused Nihil to raise a hand to obscure the sight from his eyes. The notion that the head of the church was <em>embarrassed </em>by him didn't even cross Copia's mind and he turned his head away, wearing a small proud smile.</p><p>Now completely focused on his destination, he finally reached the drinks' table, studying the shiny metallic surface of the furniture with suspicious eyes. It looked like it had been salvaged from a <em>mortuary </em>- Copia approved of the aesthetic value it brought to the venue, but he truly hoped that it was <em>at least </em>thoroughly sterilized... he sniffed twice, and when he couldn't smell anything remotely <em>rotten, </em>he figured that he had nothing to worry about.</p><p>He then peered across to the opposite side of the table, where there was a single Sibling who seemed to have been left in charge of the table for the time being. From what Copia could tell, she was dressed as an autumnal pixie due to the blend of oranges and earth tones of her short dress, not to mention the rather impressive pair of wings that were framed out of bent twigs and thin sheets of sheer fabric.</p><p>She didn't appear to notice the presence of the cardinal because she continued to sort through a fresh row of unopened beer bottles, huffing out to herself. Copia decided that she may never notice his presence, so he cleared his throat to capture the Sibling's attention. The woman jumped out of her skin and various glasses and bottled beverages loudly clinked together - it was a wonder how the tower of crates hadn't toppled over from such a reaction. The Sibling slowly turned around to face him and blushed furiously as she was instantly drawn to his mismatched gaze, shuffling from foot to foot in nervousness.</p><p><em>"C-Cardinal!" </em>she managed to stutter out, her light brown eyes wide with hope... <em>hope that he didn't appear to notice.</em></p><p>"Sister..." he greeted graciously with a polite nod and a smile, placing a gloved hand flat over his chest as he then proceeded to half bow towards the table. He couldn't recall the name of the woman across from him and he wasn't sure why she had been <em>startled </em>by him, he hadn't exactly <em>barked an order </em>at her.</p><p>"What would you like to drink?" she asked confidently, wearing a determined expression like she wanted to fill her role as best as she could now that the cardinal was present.</p><p>"The <em>finest </em>wine you have available tonight."</p><p>She nodded obediently and immediately set to preparing his beverage, studying him as she filled a thin glass with wine, wine that was such a deep tone of red that it could have <em>easily </em>passed for <em>blood. </em>Once the liquid skirted just below the rim, she gently pushed the base of the glass over the table towards him and he pincered its stem with his right leather glove. When he tried to lift it from the metallic surface of the table, he frowned deeply, realising that the sister hadn't released her grip. He reluctantly raised his eyes to face her, and to his bewilderment, she was peering at him with distinct admiration.</p><p>"Will we be sharing the night together again?" she whispered suggestively, swishing back her thick black tresses so that they settled over her left shoulder. Copia was suddenly and remarkably <em>ashen, </em>and considering the subtle covering of pale makeup he had applied for a vampire-like complexion, it only exaggerated his look of uncomfortable fright.</p><p><em>"Ahm..." </em>he hesitated highly, latching onto his drink a little harsher now that he completely understood why he found the sister somewhat <em>familiar. </em>"I do not think that will be <em>necessary, </em>sister, no. I am afraid that I have some... <em>important plans </em>for tonight."</p><p>The woman aggressively let go of his glass and it almost toppled over - luckily, he had reached up his left hand just in time and managed to catch hold of the left side, preventing any scarlet droplets from spilling onto his freshly pressed outfit. His eyes widened at her actions - he seemed to be genuinely shocked at the <em>audacity </em>of the sister, he could tell she was desperate to scold him, but she couldn't carry out such a thing, after all, he was a <em>highly esteemed cardinal </em>and there were <em>far </em>too many people present, so the chances of <em>eavesdropping </em>were significantly high...</p><p>Copia certainly remembered the summary of events from the night before, but he had some difficulty recalling the exact <em>face. </em>The person had been meaningless and an utter <em>practicality </em>to him, but he didn't quite have the confidence to tell that to the sister glaring at him. But from the clear emotion in his mismatched eyes, she had simply guessed <em>exactly </em>what he was thinking. Angry tears formed in her light brown eyes and she immediately stormed around the table, heading towards the arched entrance to abandon the celebration altogether.</p><p>His brow furrowed as he felt eyes searing into the back of his head, no doubt the sister's abrupt departure had drawn some attention. Instead of acknowledging the curious eyes, he brought the full glass to his lips and took a purposely slow sip, briefly closing his eyes as the mild liquid soothed the back of his throat.</p><p>After a few seconds, he opened his eyes with a composed sigh and turned around, thankful that most eyes were now averted from him - other than the accusing glare of <em>Papa Nihil, </em>who was clearly trying to intimidate the cardinal for some strange reason. Copia merely shrugged and raised his glass in respect, his left glove shooting his superior a thumbs up.</p><p>Cardinal dropped his positivity but his eyes lingered on the old man as he blindly passed through groups of costumed bodies, content with observing the party from the outskirts whilst he enjoyed his first beverage of the evening. He decided to linger by some neatly arranged pop-up tables and chairs, which were scattered around the edges of the party to cater for those that wished to have a rest from the main dance-floor.</p><p>He was surprised how vacant it was but was thankful for the quiet and he perched himself across one of the flimsy seats, grasping his glass with both gloves to steadily poise the base over the crook of his lap. His eyes pierced through the shimmering purple of the atmosphere as he quickly trailed them away from his superior to instead observe the hypnotic sway of the crowd, which was completely in sync with the song's entrancing beat and low, forlorn vocals. He was rather tempted to join the dance-floor at that very moment, but he was soon distracted from that idea, when a familiar glimmer of <em>chrome </em>caught his eye.</p><p>Emerging through the crowd - and suspiciously heading <em>away </em>from the drinks' table with a large circular tray between them - were two of his Ghouls. Copia's attention was fixed to the two of them, his eyes narrowing in quiet wisdom when he noticed the elaborate glass they were carrying between them. They were transporting the drink with such <em>consideration, </em>and he was incredibly glad that they were. It didn't make him feel any less surprised however, because they were usually such <em>reckless </em>creatures. But he had made his instructions and intentions completely clear to them, and they were treating their task with the effort and discretion it required.</p><p>Copia smirked as he brought the rim of his glass to his lips, his calculated eyes following the masked Ghouls' every move. He took a quiet sip as they exited the vicinity of the dance-floor, their movements nimble but not too rushed to draw any unwanted attention. Their approach to Nihil's location seemed to take forever, but he supposed they were following his orders to the letter, so it was understandable.</p><p>Copia waited patiently and calmly as the Ghouls briefly paused, blocking his view of Nihil. He watched with gleaming eyes as they bowed and took in another sip of wine, keenly observing Nihil as the Ghouls hurriedly scampered off. The old man slowly reached forwards to grasp the stem of the generously sized wine glass, eyeing it in bewilderment. It was clear that Nihil was questioning whether he had requested for the beverage, and after some quiet deliberation, he scraped the glass across the vacant surface until it was right in front of him. He wore a small smile and shrugged in acceptance, he supposed that he could have used a refreshing drink to <em>liven him up a bit...</em></p><p>Copia continued to watch eagerly with bated breath. He swallowed a sip of wine every time the anti-pope shuffled the glass about, hoping it would subdue his heavy breaths of suspense. He narrowed his eyes in expectation when Sister Imperator appeared at the infernal man's side, her eyes shining dangerously when she caught sight of the wide chalice of dark liquid in Nihil's grasp.</p><p>When Copia's anticipation became more apparent as he expectantly awaited that first vital sip, he shakily lowered the glass from his lips and slid it onto the surface of a nearby table, fumbling his hands beneath his waistcoat. He grabbed a handful of wrapped candies and winced at how warm they were, but began to unwrap a few anyway. He firmly kept his gaze upon Nihil's location and blindly popped the first candy into his mouth, frowning slightly when he realised that it was a little too <em>chewy </em>for his preference... but he would have to <em>endure </em>the toffee to spare any unwanted attention.</p><p>He'd filled his pockets with the Halloween candy in the hopes of <em>getting rid of it </em>- he'd consumed his favourite ones when he'd been sat in his office earlier - but he supposed it was serving as a comforting distraction for the time being, even with the <em>mildly infuriating </em>toffee sticking to his back teeth.</p><p>It wasn't long before he became too anxious to sit still and he took his gaze away from Nihil for a few seconds, scooping up the last few unwrapped candies to dump them into his mouth. He then proceeded to unnaturally slide up and out of his seat, busily chewing his way through the overly sweet amalgamation of sticky candies. Now on his feet, he strode casually towards the dance-floor, strutting and bobbing his head along to the beat of the music. He probably thought he looked <em>mysterious </em>and <em>cool... </em>luckily, no one seemed to linger their eyes on him for too long due to his cringe-inducing behaviour, his attempt at <em>being cool </em>had <em>some benefit </em>at least...</p><p>He wished to keep watch on Nihil as <em>covertly </em>as possible, and risked a quick glance towards the catering table - Nihil was <em>still </em>gripping onto the full glass and he subtly huffed out in impatient disappointment. He then averted his stare to the various groups that clung to the edges of the dance-floor - they seemed to favour <em>socialising </em>over dancing, much to Copia's dismay, but he figured that would mean he'd be able to mingle fairly easily. He was <em>sure </em>that mingling would make his anticipation less obvious... or so he <em>hoped... </em>he gulped back the congealed remnants of the toffee and confidently delved into the discussion.</p><p>The first conversation he entered consisted of a group of male Siblings that adorned matching skeleton outfits, all of which glowed an eye-catching neon green beneath the dim light. They immediately parted to make room for the cardinal as soon as he neared and the conversation seemed to lose exuberance and volume now that Copia was present. He cleared his throat and gestured towards their costumes, nodding his head in approval. Already, he was acting extremely awkward, <em>suspicious </em>even.</p><p><em>"Eh... </em>forgive me for <em>intruding, </em>gentlemen, but could I offer you..." he cut off and dramatically jolted his arm out of the elaborate curtain of his cape, unveiling a shiny handful of assorted candies. "... a <em>fine </em>Halloween candy?"</p><p>The men shared quizzical looks and shook their heads quickly, not daring to speak a word.</p><p><em>"Ah shush... </em>fine, fine..." he muttered sadly, side-stepping out of the circle of skeletons to make his way to the next cluster of individuals. But not before he risked another glance towards Nihil... who was in deep conversation with Imperator and had now <em>discarded </em>the glass onto the surface of the table. He clenched his teeth in annoyance and turned his gaze to a group in front of him, hoping that he didn't look too irritated or unapproachable.</p><p>Focusing on the next group, he dusted a glove over the front of his attire to ensure that there wasn't any creases and was really hoping he would shift some of the candy in his pockets soon, otherwise most of it would end up melting into <em>sludge... </em>and it was impossible to <em>hide </em>sludge, as Copia had unpleasantly discovered some years ago...</p><p>The next gathering consisted of rather clamorous sisters, who were dressed in the most flattering - and <em>revealing </em>- costumes that Copia had come across so far. From the excess of lace-up corsets, sheer fabric and stretched PVC, Cardinal actually considered that he'd mistakenly wandered into a <em>bondage club... </em>but he knew he was far too <em>sober </em>to have done such a thing... but that didn't stop him from taking a casual sweeping glance around him to ensure that he was indeed present at <em>the </em><em>Ministry. </em>It seemed quite a sensible thing to check, after all, due to the strange realism of the dreams he'd been having recently, he figured <em>anything </em>could have been possible...</p><p>He rested his attention on the sisters and trailed his eyes around the large circle, ensuring that he was acknowledging every heavily outlined pair of eyes. He opted to <em>politely </em>intrude.</p><p>"Excuse me, ladies... <em>ah... </em>could I offer you a pre-party <em>snack </em>to go with your beverages?" he asked confidently, bowing before he extended out a glove filled with tightly wrapped candies. The conversation had coldly quietened down as soon as he'd spoken and they narrowed their eyes in speculation. Neither his importance or his kind offer seemed to impress them.</p><p>
  <em>"What's the catch?"</em>
</p><p><em>"Catch? Eh... </em>there is no catch, I am just trying to get rid of them. My pockets are like a <em>lead balloon </em>right now, you know?"</p><p>He was met with silence to which he quickly added, <em>"Don't worry, they aren't drugs..."</em></p><p>
  <em>"We'll pass."</em>
</p><p>With that, they all turned away from him in unison and the boisterous sound of their conversation returned. He backed away from them with a nod of disappointment, taking one last saddened glance towards Nihil - where the discarded glass of dark liquid was sat <em>untouched </em>over the surface of the catering table.</p><p>Much to his disappointment, it seemed that his luck wasn't present on this particular Halloween, unlike previous years. Already, as he continued to stare at the glass with such <em>determined hope, </em>he wished Aemelia Vial was present. At least then he would have someone who was willing to <em>socialise </em>with him... unlike most of the Ministry, she was <em>somewhat </em>like-minded, and most importantly, she wouldn't think he was <em>irritating </em>or <em>creepy </em>for offering fistfuls of Halloween candy...</p><p>His gaze dropped down to the silver tips of his immaculate winkle-pickers and he wore a small smile, mindlessly striding around the perimeter of the dance-floor. He shoved the rejected candies back into the inside of his waistcoat and continued to wear a ridiculous smile, intent on dreaming up some convoluted <em>scheme </em>in order to entice Miss Vial to the party.</p><p>Although he was lost in his own thoughts, he cautiously glanced towards the diverse crowd, admiring the variation of different dance moves. Despite his deep contemplation, his attention was soon drawn to the dance-floor <em>entirely... </em>for he was sure that he caught a glimpse of <em>a flash, </em>a flash that was distinctly <em>chased silver...</em></p><p>He halted his movements and his eyes widened as he tried to focus on the metallic flash he'd seen. There was nothing for a few seconds but he persisted to scour the crowd with his eyes, and soon, he saw the flash again, only this time he took more notice of the source. His serpent-handled letter-opener was utterly <em>distinguishable </em>to him, and so was the sister who had it snugly tucked beneath a leather belt around her waist. To anyone else it would have looked like an attractive accessory to a Halloween costume, but to Copia, it was like wearing a badge of <em>betrayal.</em></p><p>His temper started to rise but he held his tongue and promptly shimmied himself into the crowd, gritting teeth to stop himself from violently elbowing his way towards the sister. He couldn't quite reach her - there were just too many people in the way - so he settled for the current proximity for the time being and blended into the dance-floor effortlessly by swaying in time to the beat. Everyone was too lost in the music to hear the mutters coming from Sister Sulinus, but he could hear her <em>plainly </em>from where he was situated.</p><p><em>"...no, no! I have </em>plenty <em>of salt. I just need more potent blood for a catalyst."</em></p><p>Copia's mismatched eyes proceeded to widen with intrigue and his ears pricked up in interest as he hung onto every word. It was clear that Sulinus was speaking to another sister, but he couldn't quite shuffle enough to get a good view of the other sister.</p><p>
  <em>"The apothecary? I do not know about that... it may be locked... but you are right, sister. I am sure it will have everything else I require..."</em>
</p><p>His eyes continued to widen as he began to comprehend the connection between his stolen blade and the words Sister Sulinus had poorly murmured...</p><p>Surely she didn't intend to carry out... <em>Necromancy?</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. His Persuasive Excuse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aemelia Vial was spending the evening of Halloween in her attic space - and it was introverted <em>bliss. </em>She sat atop her crossed legs, thankful for the comfortable mattress beneath her. She was clad in her usual attire: a white shirt with a black tie, and a sleek black waistcoat with a slim pair of matching trousers. The only things that appeared to be missing were her black oxfords - which had been carelessly strewn over the floorboards nearby - and her fitted blazer, which was suspended from one of the coat hooks by the door.</p><p>It was clear that she hadn't been there for long. She'd only finished at the apothecary at quarter-to-nine, and due to her dishevelled appearance and partially soiled attire - which was speckled in a vivid array of colourful reagents - it had been a fairly <em>gruelling </em>day of work.</p><p>Her pallid face was obscured by a horror novel she was avidly reading, her eyes slowly hanging over every word in front of her like she could drain the meaning from each letter. Despite being captivated by the story on the pages before her, she still insisted on the presence of music - it wasn't blaring at all, and unusually on this particular evening, she had opted to spin one of her many <em>Ghost </em>records. She found that the music was soothing to hear in the background, and added something different to her experience of reading.</p><p>Unfortunately, her downtime was about to be abruptly <em>interrupted. </em>The scattering of flaring tea-lights flickered in warning as two telling shadows appeared in the crack beneath the attic's door. A bombardment of distinctive, creaky knocks shook the thick wood and Aemelia merely squinted at the words on the page in front of her, hoping that she was just <em>imagining </em>the sounds.</p><p>But when the knocks persisted - more <em>forcefully </em>this time - she sighed in defeat with a quick roll of her black eyes. She then returned her attention to the sentence she had been reading, expelling another deep sigh.</p><p><em>"Fuckin' hell... </em>come in. There's no need to push the fuckin' door off its <em>hinges." </em>she grudgingly permitted through clenched teeth, keeping her attention on the book in her hands.</p><p>The door burst open despite its heaviness and she wore a frown as a consequence, a frown that soon deepened when the door slammed back into place and hurried clacks of familiar shoes invaded the serene atmosphere of the attic.</p><p><em>"Forgive me, Miss Vial, but this is urgent!" </em>the unmistakable voice of Cardinal Copia announced, the speed of his words matching his sense of urgency. He sniffed loudly and noticeably, which caused her to tip the novel slightly so that she could peer her inky black irises over the tops of the pages to stare at him with deflated dismay.</p><p>There was a dense silence when their gazes met. His mismatched eyes were exceedingly wide with alarm and she held her frown, her annoyed irises searing into him. The fact that <em>Jigolo Har Megiddo </em>was playing only seemed to add to the awkwardness of Cardinal's intrusion and she immediately regretted her choice of music for the night. She felt waves of heat reaching her cheeks as he briefly flicked his wide eyes over to the record player, surprised by the presence of his church's music. Eventually, he smirked proudly and cleared his throat as he faced her. He furrowed his brow in concentration as each of his hands disappeared beneath the fabric of his silk-lined cape. And then, in a magnificent gesture of what Aemelia could only <em>assume </em>was some kind of <em>celebration, </em>he stretched the material away from him, extending the cape out like he was on the set of a <em>Hammer </em>movie.</p><p>"Is there something I can <em>help </em>you with, Cardinal?" she asked sternly, lowering her book properly so that she could scowl at his peculiar stance even more, hoping that her confusion was more obvious than her flush cheeks. From his behaviour alone, she knew that he <em>must </em>have <em>taken something. </em>He certainly couldn't have been acting so strange and excitable as a mere consequence of the <em>Halloween festivities...</em></p><p>Copia stopped his ridiculous stance of victory and quickly draped his arms by his sides in order to wring his gloves together nervously. His saucer-like eyes still showed a hint of his glory through his apprehension. He <em>revelled </em>in knowing that his church had secretly won her over, even if it was only <em>slightly.</em></p><p>"We may have a <em>situation, </em>here."</p><p>"Situation? <em>We?! </em>What the <em>hell </em>are you dragging me into now, Copia?" she questioned in an accusing tone, and to her amazement, her curiosity had appeared to cause the cardinal's eyes to widen <em>further.</em></p><p>"I can only neglect the party for so long so... <em>please, </em>just... just <em>hear me out, </em>okay?" he rushed out quietly, the soles of his winkle-pickers clacking as he took cautious steps up the few stairs to stand on the raised platform where she was located.</p><p>She huffed out in disappointment and glanced at the bottom of the page she was currently on. She made a mental note of the page's number before brashly slamming it shut to toss it over the vacant black bedcovers beside her.</p><p>"I am <em>all ears." </em>she replied in a deadpan tone, but it seemed her joke had gone over his head because he swiftly seized his chance to speak now that he had her complete attention.</p><p>"Okay, okay! So... there I am, at the party, right? And I have <em>a couple drinks, </em>mingle with a few sisters - make my presence <em>known, </em>y'know? Then after a lil' while I decide to hit the dance-floor to... <em>bust </em>some <em>slick moves</em>... and I overheard one of the sisters alluding to... ahm... <em>resurrection."</em></p><p>"Surely that's a fairly <em>typical </em>topic to talk about on Halloween? And we <em>are </em>in a <em>satanic </em>church, are we not?"</p><p>"I very much <em>agree </em>with you, Miss Vial but..."</p><p>She saw his unusual expression of worry fall immediately and his typical thrill-seeking <em>coolness </em>returned, like all the concern had been an <em>act.</em></p><p><em>"Fuck it. </em>Listen, you <em>didn't hear this </em>from <em>me, </em>ok?" he said in a hushed tone, his eyes flicking from left to right as he approached her even more so that she was able to hear his soft, careful tone of voice.</p><p>She shuffled her crossed legs to ensure that she was comfortable - after all, she didn't know how <em>long </em>the man was planning on speaking. He came to a stop by the edge of the bed and frowned as he leaned downwards. She wore an expression of perplexion as she leaned her right side towards him, hoping that she was nearing him enough because if she leaned anymore she'd probably topple over. Once he was level with her right ear, he cupped a glove around his mouth, his eyes large due to troubled intrigue.</p><p>"You know the <em>Sulinus </em>chick?"</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at his choice of phrasing, wondering where his <em>vocabulary </em>had suddenly come from, but she played along, shaking her head in response as she impassively peered at the creases over the bedding she was sat upon.</p><p>"She's one of these sisters that will not leave me in peace, always <em>loitering </em>around my office and waiting on orders from me - on top of all of that, she's fucking <em>bat-shit, </em>I swear to Satan." he whispered intensely, staring at the stone wall behind the headboard of her bed like there was a chance of someone <em>eavesdropping </em>through it. "I saw her just now, there on the dance-floor, whispering about <em>very </em>specific things that are required to resurrect a body. I know <em>Necromancy </em>when I hear it, Miss Vial!"</p><p>Internally she was <em>fascinated, </em>because he must have known a thing or two about Necromancy to recognise such a thing. But it also dawned on her that there was only a handful of places on site that would really <em>aid </em>such witchcraft...</p><p>"She was acting all... <em>fucky </em>too. She avoided me like the plague, even when it was <em>clear </em>that I wished to speak with her. Very <em>unusual... </em>'cause she's usually a <em>kiss-ass."</em></p><p>Realisation flashed across Aemelia's features. For a religious sect, the Ministry had its fair share of kiss-asses, but very few were so <em>blatant </em>about it... naturally, Aemelia cast her mind back to the sister she had bumped into the night prior...</p><p>"A <em>kiss-arse? </em>How <em>telling."</em></p><p>"What? <em>What is it?" </em>he whispered with concern, hurriedly placing a leather glove over her left shoulder.</p><p>"I think I know who you're on about, but I'd have to <em>see </em>her to be certain." she explained calmly, acknowledging the hand he had placed on her with indifferent eyes. He gently drew his hand away from her and nodded, leaning back from the edge of the bed so that he could extend his right hand out to her.</p><p>"Then we must go<em>. </em>Come, <em>let's spy." </em>he replied excitedly, reaching for one of her hands, which she quickly jerked away to ensure he didn't grasp hold of her.</p><p>
  <em>"I don't know about that - "</em>
</p><p><em>"C'maaaahn! </em>Set aside your hatred of parties, even if it's for... what, <em>ten minutes? </em>We <em>hit the dance-floor, see if she is there - "</em></p><p>"And if she <em>isn't?"</em></p><p>He made a dramatic high-pitched noise of hesitation and stared directly back at her.</p><p>"We could... always <em>stay</em> a while. I'll get you a <em>Diet Coke, </em>we <em>enjoy the night, </em>no?"</p><p>"Certainly fucking <em>not. </em>We go and <em>look for her."</em></p><p>"Right, right..." he said in reluctant agreement, dropping his extended arm with disappointment. "You know... I am only trying to take the weight off of things."</p><p>"You don't need to."</p><p>"But it is <em>you </em>who will receive the brunt of the blame if she goes through with this, Aemelia. Where <em>else </em>will the sister find all the things she will need? You would be <em>heavily </em>implicated - after all, the apothecary is <em>your </em>responsibility, no? I am certain that Sister Sulinus intends to <em>ensure </em>that <em>you </em>are <em>punished </em>for <em>her </em>actions."</p><p>She wasn't expecting genuine concern from him but she sat up further, narrowing her eyes in disdain at what he was inferring.</p><p>"Setting me up <em>and </em>resurrecting the dead?" she said bitterly in a blunt tone, piercing her eyes into the man stood before her. "Now that's <em>not on."</em></p><p>She rapidly extended her hand out just like he had moments ago, and Copia resisted the urge to shrug in confusion. He enthusiastically snatched hold of her hand, pulling her up to her feet.</p><p>"Oh and <em>ah - </em>I should <em>probably </em>mention <em>- </em>costume is <em>compulsory." </em>he casually added with a hopeful wink. "Although we are free to be <em>ourselves </em>tonight... we can also be <em>whoever </em>- and <em>whatever </em>- we desire to be. That is why tonight... I bring you, Dra-Copia, <em>heh heh heh!"</em></p><p>"Right..." she muttered with unenthusiasm. "Any suggestions? I don't really have anything <em>prepared."</em></p><p>His eyes lit up and he pointed a leather-clad finger towards her, like he had suddenly remembered something <em>crucial. </em>He reached into his waistcoat and dropped his look of realisation, smirking excitedly when he pulled out a pair of lens-less spectacles that had thick black frames. She knew there was a chance he'd <em>planned </em>for such a scenario, in fact, she wouldn't have put it past him to have a <em>whole costume </em>hidden on his person for the sole purpose of handing it to <em>her.</em> He extended out his arm and his smirk dropped as he gazed at her hopefully.</p><p>"Fake glasses? <em>Really? </em>They don't even have any bloody <em>lenses..."</em></p><p>"I... <em>ah ... </em>I think you would make quite a convincing <em>Velma, </em>you know?" he squeaked out, his cheeks reddening.</p><p>She raised a brow at his confession before she shook her head and squinted her eyes, unwillingly snatching up the ridiculous pair of black frames. Although his suggestion puzzled her and didn't impress her, she was quite <em>flattered </em>beneath it all - at least he didn't see her as a <em>ditsy Daphne </em>or the perpetually inept <em>stoner.</em></p><p>"I-I could even sort you out with an orange turtle neck if you would li - "</p><p>"That won't be necessary, Cardinal. The glasses will be enough." she interrupted sternly, carefully hooking the arms of the black frames around the collar of her shirt.</p><p>
  <em>"You are sure?"</em>
</p><p>"Yep, quite sure - "</p><p>"Because I really, <em>really </em>think it would cling to your figure <em>quite well </em>and... ahm... <em>ahm... " </em>his enthusiastic words trailed off. He had probably realised that he had already said enough.</p><p>"I'll see you there soon, Cardinal." she firmly assured, hoping that her reluctant agreement to assist him would be enough to get him to <em>shut up, </em>and more importantly, <em>leave.</em></p><p>"Ah <em>yes, yes! </em>Right, right... <em>eh... </em>I will see you there! Then we can get onto the <em>danc - </em>ah, <em>investigating, investigating!"</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. His Persistence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon Copia's return to the cathedral, the music had diminished in volume and instead, booming, incoherent mumbles filled the void it had left. Every costumed being was silent and stood completely motionless, quietly lining up to face the catering table. A few whispered in irritation when Copia slipped by them in an inconsiderate manner, but he was intent on finding out the source of their attention. From the glint in his eyes, it was clear that his excitement for Miss Vial's looming arrival was simmering, but he managed to suppress it for the time being, and continued to push through bodies until he finally had a decent view and understanding of why everyone was so quiet.</p>
<p>Eyes rolled as Cardinal came to a sudden halt, blocking others from witnessing Papa Nihil's evening toast. He felt quite <em>disappointed </em>that Nihil muttering an incredibly <em>scripted </em>speech had gripped an entire audience of people. They hung onto his every word like it <em>meant </em>something... Copia knew that such generic words had been crafted by <em>Imperator, </em>as he was well aware that she had an <em>ulterior motive </em>for the night's festivities. She was sat beside the anti-pope's unhallowed throne at that particular moment, wearing a modest black dress and an indifferent pout.</p>
<p>Instead of focusing on the message of enjoyment that Nihil was currently reading out, she turned her speculative gaze to the subdued crowd, and she soon caught sight of Copia. She smiled briefly at him, like she was glad he was present... but the expression in her eyes didn't quite match her smile.</p>
<p>Copia was visibly unsettled by the emotion that Sister was displaying and awkwardly shifted his startled eyes away from her. He observed Nihil instead, who was adorning his habitual papal robes and skull-paint, and clutching his skeletal fingers around a microphone. Now that Copia was actually listening to the old man's words, he realised that it had been <em>lucky </em>that he had arrived when he did<em>, </em>because it seemed like Nihil's toast was coming to a <em>conclusion...</em></p>
<p>"Tonight we live, for those who cannot." Nihil declared passionately, pausing for a moment to trail his eyes over the many faces peering at him. "Do not fail them. Party like you have nothing to fear."</p>
<p>There was a suspenseful pause and the cluster of people began to wear quizzical looks, clearly unsure whether they were supposed to <em>applaud </em>or <em>resume </em>the festivities like nothing had ever occurred...</p>
<p>"Before we continue with the celebration, Cardinal Copia would like to say a few words." Nihil announced in a much more casual tone, hoping that he had cleared up the bewilderment.</p>
<p>"I <em>do?" </em>Cardinal apprehensively murmured in confusion, the close attention of surrounding Siblings was already pressuring him into slowly moving forwards. He glared at his superior with disbelief and Sister Imperator sharply leaned towards Nihil. Muffled scuffs rang out through the speakers as Nihil idly clutched the microphone to his embroidered robes. Most guests winced as the slightest incoherent vowels of Imperator's scolding murmurs managed to bleed through the speakers too, whereas others had begun to acknowledge Copia's presence. Heads turned, eyes rolled, whispers travelled. He hadn't desired such attention, but he felt obliged to <em>appease </em>the curious audience..</p>
<p>The sea of Siblings parted as elbows encouraged him to step forwards. His eyes were as wide as saucers when he was forcibly spat out of the mass of people and he nimbly approached the catering table, hurriedly reaching over its surface to accept the microphone that Nihil was offering him. There was an ear-splitting shriek of feedback when he twirled around to face the gathering of waiting guests, and he clumsily adjusted the microphone until it was at an acceptable distance from his mouth.</p>
<p>"Ah... <em>hello."</em></p>
<p>He was met with expectant silence from the Siblings and stern frowns from the Clergy, and it caused him to clear his throat uncomfortably... a speech had never been on his agenda. He'd never been expected to give one before, but... he supposed that he could manage to scrape <em>something </em>together off the top of his head...</p>
<p>Somehow, he effortlessly managed to stumble his way through a series of terrible jokes until he decided to move onto a spontaneous anecdote that was <em>vaguely </em>related to Halloween. His words were unfiltered and genuine - <em>unlike the words of Nihil </em>- and he earned embarrassed, unimpressed expressions from his two superiors, who were blocked from view now that he had the attention of the audience. Although his superiors did not approve of his off-the-cuff, irreverent speech, the congregation before him were highly amused and captivated by the man's enthralling demeanour. His bumbling attempt at a speech was <em>pitiful, </em>but that didn't matter, because they were soon smiling or nodding their heads in approval, entertained by his absurd tangents...</p>
<p>And all the while, his fiendish mismatched eyes were confidently scanning over every face in the audience. He was ensuring he reached out to every single pair of irises, no matter how insignificant they seemed. He trailed his attention carefully, and when he felt his mind was finally running short of ideas, his intent seemed to change. His eyes became wary as he searched the crowd for something, or <em>someone. </em>His speech eventually stunted and he lowered the microphone away from his face, frowning as he continued his examination of the crowd.</p>
<p>The congregation decided to give the cardinal a modest round of applause, and the sound seemed to shake him out of his thoughts, for he blinked and swiftly turned away from them, unusually <em>disregarding </em>the praise he had received. The audience - some of them still quietly applauding - dispersed at a leisurely pace, their chatter filling the silence before a loud soundtrack of thick synth-lines and pulsing drums added to the fresh commotion.</p>
<p>Copia flicked the switch on the side of the microphone and dumped it on the catering table, ignoring the intrusive eyes of his superiors as much as he could. He then swivelled around to face the dance-floor once again, and quickly galloped towards it, desperate to lose himself in the party's atmosphere to forget about the <em>ordeal </em>of his spontaneous speech.</p>
<p>However, before he could reach the enticing perimeter of the dance-floor, two scantily dressed women side-stepped in front of him, preventing him from joining the centre of the party. He frowned at them with confusion but acknowledged them both - their heart-shaped faces seemed to be the only parts of them that were adequately covered up, as they were smeared over with jack-o-lantern face-paint. They fluttered their exaggerated eyelashes at him and they wore impressed expressions. No doubt they were in awe of his recent speech... but he couldn't fathom <em>why </em>- even Copia was aware that it had been <em>terrible.</em></p>
<p>"Care to dance, your Dark Excellency?" the sister on the left asked, which caused the other one to pout hopefully.</p>
<p><em>"Eh... </em>I am afraid that the night is a lil' too <em>young </em>for me to dance just yet, ladies." he lied kindly and convincingly. He was truly awaiting Miss Vial's arrival so that he could dance with <em>her, </em>but he was hardly willing to admit it. He flicked his eyes between the two women expectantly, but neither of them moved a muscle. Finding the situation far too uncomfortable, he quickly looked around the room, trying to find a plausible excuse to leave the presence of the jack-o-lantern sisters.</p>
<p>He gazed over his shoulder, peering at the catering table he had just left, and like some <em>unholy miracle, </em>an excuse <em>arrived. </em>He froze in relieved amazement as Nihil firmly pointed towards him, beckoning for his approach. The anti-pope was now sat atop his throne and had his feet - which were clad in psychedelic crocs - perched upon a velvet foot-stool, which was cleverly obscured beneath the surface of the catering table, in case of any prying eyes.</p>
<p>Copia emitted a heavy sigh like he was disappointed, but his eyes seemed <em>thankful </em>as he raised his hands in subdued surrender, turning around to grant his superior's request.</p>
<p>As he sauntered forwards, assuredly headed towards Nihil, his brow furrowed in concern when he scoured the table for Sister Imperator - but she was nowhere to be seen. He found it unnerving, because she rarely left his side during celebrations, but Nihil seemed <em>sprightly </em>now that she was absent. From the urgent expression the old man wore, it was clear that he was seizing the opportunity of his unusual solitude to eagerly summon the cardinal. Nihil really hoped that his subordinate would <em>hurry up </em>before Imperator decided to return. His urgency was strange but Copia could tell that it was probably because he wished to speak of a <em>private matter</em>, that wasn't intended for the ears of any other.</p>
<p>"Cardinal! <em>Cardinal!" </em>Nihil whispered loudly, exaggerating his words as he gestured for him to come even closer. "I must speak with you!"</p>
<p><em>"Ah shush..." </em>Copia muttered in annoyance, but meandered around the edge of the table so that he could converse with the anti-pope more directly. He halted by Sister's empty seat and cleared his throat, stooping down into a bow but Nihil shook his head in disapproval and raised a hand to dismiss the greeting.</p>
<p>Copia obliged his wishes and stood to attention, his eyes shining over with fascination. The old man cared so much for manners and tradition, yet there he was, waving it off like it was <em>meaningless...</em></p>
<p>"Have you asked her to dance yet?" Nihil bluntly questioned in a subdued tone - a tone that he had merely <em>attempted, </em>as his volume of voice had seemed to <em>raise </em>despite his efforts.</p>
<p>Copia's eyes widened as he rounded Imperator's seat to casually drape his right arm over one of the spiked spires of Nihil's throne. He had neared his superior to ensure their conversation remained private, and coolly leaned his weight to the right so he could perch against the cushioned arm of the elaborate chair, his head hovering close to the top of Nihil's mitre.</p>
<p><em>"Eh... </em>danced with <em>who, </em>Papa?"</p>
<p>"You <em>know </em>who!" Papa scolded, tipping his head back to also scold the man with his pale irises. "Don't play the fool with me, Cardinal! <em>Have you danced with her yet?!"</em></p>
<p>"Ah... <em>no. </em>I do not think she is here y - "</p>
<p>"Then what are you <em>waiting </em>for, boy? <em>Look for her! </em>When you find her, you dance with her and you make sure that I can see it! I want to make sure you are treating her right."</p>
<p><em>"Ah... </em>I am not so sure she would want to dance with me... I... think my moves may have scared her a little last time I - "</p>
<p><em>"Dance </em>with her Cardinal!" Nihil insisted, lowering his head to obscure his disgruntled expression. "She doesn't come across as a woman that is easily <em>scared..."</em></p>
<p>"But... ahm... <em>why?" </em>Copia meekly asked, narrowing his mismatched eyes in wonder as he briefly regarded the packed dance-floor. "I... do not understand why you require me to dance with her?"</p>
<p>Nihil tipped his head back again to sternly face the cardinal, and it <em>immediately </em>caught Copia's attention.</p>
<p><em>"Ahhh ok, ok, </em>your Dark Excellency! Heh heh... I am <em>sure </em>I can conjure a dance out of her, ah?"</p>
<p><em>"That's the spirit, </em>Cardinal!" Nihil exclaimed with a beaming grin as he lowered his head again to nod in approval. "And remember to keep as close to me as possible, so that I can <em>observe."</em></p>
<p><em>"Eh... </em>of course, of course."</p>
<p>Copia waited for anything else his superior had to say, and after a few seconds of silence, he pulled himself away from the chair. Before leaving Nihil's side, he nodded respectfully and the older man responded with a wise, wily smile, even though his cloudy eyes were focusing on the bustle of the party...</p>
<hr/>
<p>When Aemelia Vial finally arrived, Copia's gaze was instantly drawn to her. She quietly and unmindfully, passed the drinking area, clad in a fresh outfit for the night. From the slight glimpse of her, he had already spotted the slight tweaks to her usual attire and it <em>intrigued </em>him. He began to shift away from the cramped huddle of the dance-floor, desperate to keep sight of her.</p>
<p>Soon, he was nearing her, and his interest continued to peak. Her usual white button-up was instead a shade of deep crimson and accentuated the shimmering burgundy of her hair, which had been secured into fresh plaits. The obsidian tie around her neck was tightly wound but neatly centred, the wider section of its fabric obscured by the sharp cut of the black waistcoat she had layered on top. Her slim-fit trousers seemed habitual, aside from the presence of thin white pinstripes - Copia decided that she probably classified them as her <em>formal </em>pair of pants, merely due to the minor addition of a pattern.</p>
<p>Unusually, her blazer was absent but her shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, like she was anticipating excess heat due to the large gathering of people, or perhaps she had even considered the scenario of <em>getting her hands dirty...</em></p>
<p>Lastly, as he traipsed closer and closer, he noticed something that both warmed him, and unsettled him. For the strange, unidentified entity she accommodated was <em>present. </em>Her irises were clouded over with an evident, alert hazy black, but to his pleasant surprise, they were framed by the thick black novelty pair of spectacles he had given her... he would have focused on that comforting fact were it not for the shimmering sight of her blacked out eye-sockets. He glared at her with concern as she slowly made her way towards the various vacant tables and chairs located at the very edges of the venue.</p>
<p>Cardinal's worry was understandable. He was worried that someone would question the <em>liveliness </em>of the dark eyes she adorned so plainly, but of course, he failed to acknowledge that it was <em>Halloween. Most eyes </em>around him were <em>disguised </em>or <em>accentuated...</em> so most guests were likely to assume that Miss Vial had a <em>revolutionary </em>pair of eye contacts...</p>
<p>His pace quickened as he advanced towards her more desperately and he parted his lips, preparing to greet her. But to his surprise, she was fully <em>aware </em>of his approaching presence.</p>
<p><em>"Terrible speech... " </em>she addressed, raising her voice so that he could hear her over the roar of the music. A few guests who happened to be trickling towards the bar area turned their heads, clearly shocked at how Miss Vial was speaking to a superior chaplain, but they quickly averted their attention, assuming that they must have <em>misheard.</em></p>
<p><em>"Ohhh </em>you were... <em>here </em>for that?" Copia whined bashfully, coming to a slow halt by the selection of vacant tables and seating to stand directly in front of her.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I certainly was... " she replied spiritlessly, her opaque eyes blinking behind the lens-less black spectacles with apathy. "... and I now need to bleach my eyes and cork my ears. It was fucking <em>awful, </em>what on <em>Earth </em>possessed you to do a <em>speech?"</em></p>
<p>"Yes... it - <em>ahem </em>- was never on my <em>to-do list." </em>he admitted highly, wincing as his mismatched eyes settled on her hollow gaze. "I can be quite... <em>eloquent </em>with the words most of the time... so long as I am told in <em>advance, </em>heh heh."</p>
<p>She simply scowled at him in response and he quickly licked his lips, deciding that it was probably best to move away from the subject of his atrocious speech... or she would never even <em>consider </em>dancing with him.</p>
<p>"I see that you are wearing your <em>costume." </em>he said proudly with mirth-filled eyes, gesturing towards the thick black frames clinging to her face, and the deep crimson shirt that clung to her person. "That shade of red matches your hair quite <em>nicely, </em>too, heh heh. But... I do not understand who you are supposed to be?"</p>
<p><em>"Myself, </em>obviously." she responded in a deadpan tone as her frown disappeared, which left her with a serious expression. "Myself... wearing a different coloured shirt and a pair glasses. I don't need them to <em>see, </em>so that's make-believe enough, don't you think?"</p>
<p>He chuckled at her dismal, unimaginative view on the fun of disguise, and shook a pointed, playful glove towards her.</p>
<p>"You know, you play <em>Aemelia Vial </em>quite <em>well." </em>he teased, his eyes glinting mischievously. "You manage to capture her... stubborn attitude and <em>ah... stunning good looks. </em>You know... you would be... <em>a </em><em>lot </em>more <em>convincing </em>if you <em>danced with me, </em>'cause then even <em>I</em> would be <em>convinced </em>that you were the reserved, ever <em>beautiful </em>resident alchemist I have come to know so well, ah?"</p>
<p>"I'm <em>not </em>dancing, Copia." Aemelia snapped curtly, her jaw setting with annoyance due to his bold and elaborate proposal. "Even if I intended to, it certainly wouldn't be <em>with you."</em></p>
<p>"Oh... <em>c'maaaan... </em>you... you will be <em>fired </em>if you do not!" he concocted promptly, clenching his gloves into passionate fists as they draped by his sides.</p>
<p>"Sorry... I'll be <em>what?!"</em></p>
<p><em>"Fired." </em>Copia pressed nervously, displaying a sincere expression to ensure that she would believe his impulsive lie. <em>"Papa Nihil's </em>conditions... not my own."</p>
<p><em>"Papa Nihil?! </em>What does <em>he </em>have to do with this?"</p>
<p>"I... do not know, but he expressed that he wishes to witness us dancing... <em>together." </em>he confessed with a deflated sigh, lowering his head to avoid the gloomy presence of the suspicious entity that dwelled in her eye-sockets.</p>
<p>"Well... you best inform him that I <em>quit, </em>then." she retorted bluntly, her mouth in a stern line as her eyes began to narrow with irritation. Her reaction caused his skin to pale with fright and his manipulative intentions vanished in an instant.</p>
<p>
  <em>"M-Miss Vial?!"</em>
</p>
<p>"I've had enough of this place sucking the life out of me. Had enough of everybody <em>expecting </em>something from me... and <em>ugh, </em>don't even get me <em>started </em>on the <em>asshole cardinal </em>that won't leave me alone. In fact... he's the <em>sole reason </em>that I want to quit."</p>
<p>Cardinal knitted his eyebrows in disheartened confusion, his mismatched eyes shimmering with the threat of tears. However, the start of his heartbreak was abruptly interrupted when she reached out her right arm to lightly prod his shoulder with her thumb. She emitted a subtle, subdued giggle, and bit into the ghost of a smirk, staring into his confused, saddened irises.</p>
<p>"The <em>worst </em>thing about this <em>asshole cardinal </em>is that I can never seem to <em>refuse </em>him."</p>
<p><em>"Shit, </em>Aemelia... do not kid me like that again, ah?" he wheezed out with relief, hurtling himself forwards to crush his arms around her in a firm, grounding hug. She winced at the strength of his action and managed to slide her arms out from his grasp to lightly rest them over his back. She then cautiously patted him to at least show that she was <em>apologetic </em>for her ambiguous taunting.</p>
<p>They stayed like that for a little while until he finally released her, but only so that he could seize her by her shoulders to pull her towards the dance-floor. She frowned with reluctance and relaxed her form to make herself heavy, but it only made his dragging more insistent. He didn't stop pulling her until they were at edge of the dance-floor, where he eased his grip and confidently took hold of her callous hands. He lifted her arms by each of her wrists until he cautiously tugged her closer to him, manoeuvring them both into a dancing hold. Their sudden proximity made her scrunch her nose a little and she backed her head away to create a larger gap between them. His persistent actions were strange but she overlooked them for the time being, after all, she had just cruelly joked about her dismissal which had unintentionally upset him...</p>
<p>"I see that your <em>friend </em>is lurking tonight." he whispered warily as he leaned forwards to shorten the gap between them, his hot breath puffing out into her face as he glared into her blacked-out eyes. "Something we should be worried about?"</p>
<p>"Probably not. It's Halloween, I think it just wants to be present for it." she muttered back, stiffening her body so that he couldn't sway them both into a dance move... she could sense that he was eager for them to join the main bustle of the dance-floor.</p>
<p><em>"Bene." </em>he breathed in relieved acceptance, nodding his head slowly as he squinted his eyes at her in suspicion. "You're really going to decline me of a dance <em>now?"</em></p>
<p>She rolled her eyes and audibly huffed, lazily resting her palms over his shoulders. She ignored his look of victory as he gently pulled her in even closer, purposely staring at her overzealously now that they were so close. She was aware of his ethereal eyes exploring her features and she briefly frowned, picking the nearest vacant space to stare at instead.</p>
<p>He guided them into a simple series of steps and then eased them into the crowded dance-floor, momentarily taking his eyes away from her to acknowledge the stares from some of the Siblings around them. From the costumed bodies surrounding them, Aemelia honestly felt <em>underdressed. </em>As much as she <em>loathed </em>parties, she felt that this celebration was something that even the most introverted of individuals wanted to be a part of...</p>
<p>Copia swayed them through the crowd, steering them towards a spot that was a little less cramped - conveniently, it also happened to be a lot closer to the location of his <em>superiors...</em></p>
<p>The cardinal's eyes quickly trailed over the atmosphere around them, until he felt compelled to at least check on the catering table now that he had completed Nihil's wishes. The old man was beaming a proud smile at him, and for once, Copia was silently bewildered, because he'd never seen such an emotion from the anti-pope before. Unfortunately, his curiosity didn't last long, for he realised that Imperator was now sat over the seat beside Nihil.</p>
<p>Copia glared at her with concern and her probing eyes sharply flicked towards him, like she had <em>detected </em>his mismatched gaze. It was apparent that she was silently <em>seething, </em>but there was no clear cause of her annoyance... Cardinal could only assume that it was something <em>he </em>had done. It could have been that awful speech. It could have been that he was currently dancing with the <em>resident alchemist</em>. Or, it could have been the fact that Papa Nihil was still smiling and chatting and very much <em>alive. </em>When the woman crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head at him, he could only assume it was <em>all three </em>and the corners of his mouth twitched into a slight snarling smirk.</p>
<p>After acknowledging the snide, simmering look from Sister Imperator, he decided to focus on the burgundy-haired woman who was in front of him instead. Before long, he really didn't have to try to focus at all. Everything lost its meaning for a quite a few minutes. The day could have been any other for all he knew. He couldn't even recall why they were present and even questioned his own existence. He was completely lost now that he was in Aemelia's company and was too busy trying to comprehend why she seemed to give him early on-set <em>dementia.</em></p>
<p>Unlike Copia, Miss Vial had her attention elsewhere. She was methodically surveying the room around them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the devout, eavesdropping sister that she recalled bumping into the night prior.</p>
<p>Aemelia was still the subject of Copia's attention, even though she wasn't acknowledging him. He was slowly forgetting that they were amongst a crowd of his subordinates, like she had <em>bewitched </em>him somehow, but he knew that there wasn't an ounce of trickery involved. His eyes had begun to linger on her lips, and each time he tried to trail them away, he quickly returned to the sight of her mouth. He was incredibly tempted to simply <em>close </em>the space between them entirely, but he knew that it would have been <em>inappropriate...</em></p>
<p>Even after five minutes, Miss Vial was still oblivious to how the cardinal was observing her. His eyelids hooded over his irises like he was hypnotised by the sight of her. She continued to ignore him, centering her narrowed eyes on the sister she had been searching for... she briefly recognised the woman skulking across the opposite side of the dance-floor.</p>
<p>"Left." Aemelia grumbled as she tensed her arms, attempting to steer them in the direction of the prowling sister.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Hm?"</em>
</p>
<p><em>"Go left!" </em>she rasped through clenched teeth, visibly frustrated by his lack of observation.</p>
<p><em>"Oh, </em>sure, sure..."</p>
<p>When Cardinal finally obeyed her order, it had been too late. Aemelia had completely lost sight of the familiar sister and she was already eagerly preparing to tear away from him to race after her... but he slid his hands further up her arms to grasp at her shoulders, ensuring that she couldn't turn away from him.</p>
<p>
  <em>"What are you - "</em>
</p>
<p><em>"No, no. Let's keep dancing." </em>he murmured sincerely, purposely disregarding her apprehensive urge to pursue the sister.</p>
<p>"The <em>fuck? </em>What happened to <em>apprehending </em>Sister <em>Sulinus?!" </em>she hissed in disbelief.</p>
<p>"She can wait." he calmly replied, which caused her to reluctantly turn and acknowledge his look of infatuation. "Necromancy can be quite... <em>time consuming. </em>I say we give her a very <em>teenie-tiny </em>head start, just to be fair."</p>
<p>"It's not a <em>race, </em>Cardinal. It's about stopping her from <em>raising the fuckin' dead."</em></p>
<p><em>"One more song." </em>he insisted with hopeful eyes, which caused her to realise that he was entirely serious and utterly attracted to her in that moment.</p>
<p><em>"Copia."</em> she pressed through gritted teeth, hoping he would snap out of his ridiculous dream-like trance.</p>
<p>"Please, just... <em>one more song."</em></p>
<p>"Fine, I'll wait by the - "</p>
<p><em>"One more song." </em>he breathed dangerously, his voice raising to subtly merge into the whisper. "I do not give a <em>shit, </em>Miss Vial. Sister Sulinus could raise a fucking <em>army </em>for all I care. It is the <em>best night </em>of the year, I'm not having it ruined by - "</p>
<p>"My <em>shitty footwork</em>, I agree." she interrupted curtly, yanking herself away from him. She side-stepped in order to move around him, but he swiftly lunged to block her path. She glared at him as he raised himself out of the lunge and caught hold of her shoulders again. His grip on her was far more daring, as his gloves slid across her shoulders until they settled over the backs of her shoulder blades.</p>
<p>"There is <em>nothing </em>shitty about your footwork."</p>
<p>She scowled at his praise, assuming that his unusual demeanour was due to drink or a questionable powder he had inhaled recently...</p>
<p>"You think that I'm <em>shit-faced." </em>he stated wisely with a look of amusement. "If I was <em>shit-faced, </em>Miss Vial, I would not stop talking... and <em>eh... </em>I wouldn't be able to feel the ends of my toes so well."</p>
<p>Before she could answer him, the music abruptly changed and he took the opportunity of the sudden distraction to step closer. He was that close to her that the ends of their noses were almost touching and she instantly backed her head away from his, extending her neck out as far as it would go to avoid brushing him. The new song was a lot more profound and sensual than the previous one and Copia's gloves slid from her to grasp hold of her hands so that he could place them over his shoulder blades.</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes in discomfort but he hushed her, "This is how we dance to a song like this, you see? <em>Close and slow."</em></p>
<p>He was simply being observant and honest. Everyone else around them had another body to cling to and <em>they </em>weren't putting up a fuss. If his terms were <em>one song,</em> then she supposed she would <em>tolerate </em>the dancing - because she certainly didn't wish to disrupt a resurrection ritual on <em>her own.</em> Her hesitant hands eventually settled over the feel of his sharp shoulders, but her arms were stiff due to the unfamiliarity of dancing.</p>
<p>"Ease yourself," he firmly instructed as he hovered his head over her right shoulder. "You are so tense. This is all about <em>relaxing, </em>so... <em>relax."</em></p>
<p>When she still seemed tensed, his gloves slid from where they held her hands place, and they clutched around the bunched up sleeves clinging to her upper arms. She seemed to loosen her arms a little due to his actions and he nodded in approval, "Good."</p>
<p>He slid his hands across the width of her arms and then lowered them, grazing his leather-clad knuckles over the sides of her ribs as he lightly grasped hold of her waist. It was undeniably intimate and his cheeks reddened slightly but he held her apathetic stare, confident that she would warm to him soon enough...</p>
<p>Aemelia Vial just hoped the song was <em>short, </em>or they would have a <em>plethora </em>of undead monstrosities to deal with...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Grave Misconduct</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Miss Vial had grown to appreciate the serene setting of the Ministry gardens ever since the summer. But she didn't appreciate it now that it was approaching eleven at night and she was briskly walking through the sprawling maze of gardens, on the hunt for a sister that was about to <em>raise the dead. </em>The gardens were vast and intimidating, and the muffled ambience of the party seemed <em>miles </em>away now, even though they had only left the main chapel a few minutes ago.</p><p>Cardinal calmly led them through the darkness, often pausing to glance over his shoulder at her to ensure that she was staying close. Sometimes she wasn't and he waved her to follow him, the outline of his form the only thing visible in the pitch-black.</p><p>She was surprised how confident he was in the cool, eerie atmosphere - even though Aemelia had gotten to know the gardens well, she was nowhere near as <em>comfortable </em>as he was. She could feel the familiar stirring of dread within her and she trusted her instinctive feeling far more than the confident strides of the cardinal in front of her.</p><p>There was a sharp, forlorn edge to the autumnal breeze. It rustled the crisp, wilting plants of the arched framework above them, which caused a few departed leaves to gracefully float towards the anaemic grass below. Each of the arched tunnels were indistinguishable at night and now it was fall, the tall archways stood like identical lumbering mausoleums to display the disconcerting close of nature's cycle.</p><p>After a few minutes of the same, relentless tunnel - which happened to be the one they had often met under during the afternoons over summer - Cardinal abruptly paused. Consequently, his weighty silk-lined cape forcefully wafted behind him and the edges floated up into the air, quickly draping down to settle over the lower-half of Miss Vial's face. Copia's accessory had blended into the dark <em>effortlessly </em>and caused her to splutter in surprise until she batted the dense material away from her. She cautiously approached his side now that he was stationary, but decided to keep plenty of distance between them... she really didn't want to be <em>attacked </em>by his cape again.</p><p>Without hesitation, Copia leaned downwards and Aemelia squinted at him, attempting to focus on his actions now that her eyes were adjusting to the darkness. When she heard the unexpected noise of metallic scraping, she huffed out in confusion, dipping her head down slightly to try and see what had caught Copia's attention.</p><p>"You got a match?" Copia asked attentively, his strained voice hushed as he raised into his full stature, his leather glove guarding something he was grasping in his opposite hand.</p><p>She brushed her hands over her bare forearms like the cold of the outdoors had suddenly hit her, narrowing her eyes in bewilderment. His shielding glove fell away and revealed that he had hold of a modest lantern. He swung its door open and she immediately began to fish through her waistcoat pockets, understanding his request now that he wasn't obscuring the item with his hands. Soon, she had hold of her matchbox and shook it - she had formed a habit of checking the contents now that she was aware of Nekid's apparent addiction to <em>consuming live matches.</em></p><p>Thankfully, it sounded like there were plenty and she slid the box open, swiftly picking out a single matchstick. Upon closing the box, she had already struck the match into ignition over the striking strip and Copia slowly lifted the lantern between them. She reached inside and the small flame of the match lit the wick of a thin crimson candle, which was snugly encased in the glass of the lantern.</p><p>"What a funny <em>coincidence." </em>Aemelia commented skeptically as she backed away to shake out the match, her pale complexion glowing a rich golden colour due to the fresh waver of the candle's flame. "It's not often that you find a lantern... <em>lying on the ground."</em></p><p>Copia's incongruous eyes settled upon her, his ghastly features also illuminated by the warmth of the golden candlelight. He appeared stern for a few seconds as he considered her comments, until he finally cracked a smirk, taking the opportunity to blatantly rake his eyes over the shivering sight of her.</p><p>"Mm. <em>Strange, </em>isn't it, Miss Vial? It is almost like Sister Sulinus is <em>expecting us..." </em>he said ominously, his gaze still searching her features.</p><p>
  <em>"You think she is?"</em>
</p><p><em>"Eh... </em>you tell me, <em>you </em>are the one wearing the <em>brainy glasses,</em> ah?" he quipped boldly, unable to suppress the small smile on his mouth. He lowered the lantern to hold it in front of his chest and took a step towards her, the radiant candlelight from the lantern was <em>fierce </em>now that he had neared her.</p><p>"And, eh... <em>for the record..." </em>he continued in a low and undeniably flirtatious tone. "... you <em>really </em>suit the glasses... you certainly make me want to shout <em>"Jinkies" </em>but for a whole <em>other reason, </em>you know?"</p><p>"Right." Aemelia replied with disinterest, but from the expression on her face, he could tell she was already frustrated with him. "Are we <em>actually </em>out here to stop this sister? Because it <em>really </em>feels like you're stalling us from - "</p><p>"Hey, hey! <em>Relaaaaax, </em>Miss Vial!" Copia exclaimed confidently, ensuring his eyes met hers to show that he was completely sincere. "Necromancy is <em>time consuming, </em>like I said, ah? And what is <em>the rush </em>in getting to her? I know <em>exactly </em>where she will be and what she will be doing. We may as well let her <em>try, </em>no?"</p><p>Aemelia could tell that he was hiding something from her because of his flippant tone and the misleading <em>innocence </em>he was trying to convey. But she could plainly see the mischief glinting in his eyes, and such mischief <em>infuriated </em>her.</p><p><em>"Where is she going?" </em>she questioned bluntly, tired of him purposely talking around what she desired to understand. She wondered where the playful <em>mind games</em> had come from but she could only assume that the Halloween spirit that had gone to his head.</p><p>Cardinal's small smile grew into an amused smirk as he confidently returned her stare. He then turned his head and began to follow the new direction of his gaze, his pace slow and casual. He held out the lantern before him, his arm stretching out a little to illuminate the damp, grassy path before them. Aemelia clenched her teeth in annoyance and grudgingly trailed behind him, hugging her arms around herself now that she was finally victim to the creep of autumn's cold.</p><p>"Where is she <em>going, </em>Copia?" she asked with annoyance and persisted to grit her teeth together, her exhales visible as wisps of opal amongst the blackness of the bleak air.</p><p>"You disappoint me, Miss Vial." he teased mirthfully, shaking his head as he continued to stare in the direction he was walking. "I thought you would have realised by <em>now... </em>you really don't know where we are going?"</p><p>"I can only assume... a <em>graveyard." </em>she retorted with stubborn frustration, clearly irritated with his amused tone.</p><p>"Correct. And <em>ahm..." </em>he trailed off, slowing his paces so that he could acknowledge her with a glance over his right shoulder. "Whatever you see here tonight, you... are not to speak of it to another <em>soul, </em>ok? We just keep this between <em>us two... </em>you can do that for me, can't you, Miss Vial?"</p><p>Her irritation vanished and was quickly replaced with a curious frown.</p><p>"Of course, Cardinal... you <em>know </em>that I wouldn't say anything." she assured truthfully, her blacked-out eyes gleaming with worry as her frown continued to deepen. "Why bother asking?"</p><p>"I just... wanted to make <em>sure </em>tonight, that is all, Aemelia." he murmured profoundly, reluctantly moving his attention from her to focus on the vacant stretch of grass before them. She studied him even though he had his back to her, and she could tell that he was refraining from disclosing anything else because his strides were suddenly far more tense.</p><p>After a few silent yards of pacing, Copia's eyes widened with realisation and he swiftly turned around to face her. She bumped into him slightly and his eyes lit up in amusement. He then thrust the flickering lantern towards her chest and she rolled her eyes, but despite her feeling of annoyance, she understood his wishes and snatched hold of the light source.</p><p><em>"Ah shit! </em>I can't believe that I almost <em>forgot!" </em>he exclaimed, holding up the index finger of his left glove as he searched the insides of his coat pockets with the other.</p><p><em>"Da-na!" </em>he announced highly as he splayed out his palm, the distinctive shine of silver and gold wrappers glistening beneath the dim light of the lantern. "Can I interest you in a tightly wrapped <em>candy?"</em></p><p>"Sweets? You're <em>seriously </em>offering me fuckin' <em>sweets?!" </em>Aemelia snapped in a peaked rasp, her grip on the lantern becoming a little more fierce.</p><p>"Yes, Miss Vial. These little suckers are weighing me down - "</p><p>"What's wrong with them?" she questioned warily, briskly stepping around him to continue their delayed pursuit of Sister Sulinus.</p><p>"Eh... <em>nothing." </em>he replied in a suspiciously high tone, obediently twirling around to scurry after her.</p><p>"Then why haven't <em>you </em>eaten them?"</p><p>"They are the ones I am not so keen on, I am quite... <em>picky </em>when it comes to candy. I prefer the full <em>sceptres of chocolate, </em>you know."</p><p>"Ha, <em>of course </em>you do." she scoffed with amusement, confidently stretching out the lantern before her as she started to quicken her pace.</p><p>"So... <em>eh... </em>you want some?"</p><p>"Not right <em>now, </em>no."</p><p>"That is not a definite <em>"no" </em>so... I will check back with you <em>later, </em>ah?"</p><hr/><p>The Ministry's graveyard wasn't large or grandiose like Miss Vial had anticipated. It was a stretch of twenty yards and it seemed to only contain the graves of the most <em>influential </em>of the Clergy's deceased. It was enclosed by the edges of the neatly trimmed gardens and crooked, dehydrated willow trees that had their branches coiled into disconcerting twists. The most elaborate aspect of the place was the carved headstones that marked each grave. Each one was completely different to represent the person buried beneath, but none of them were particularly <em>modest </em>or <em>subtle.</em></p><p>Copia coolly trailed through the well-spaced lines of the esteemed departed, his haunting cape flowing behind him now that the evening's breeze had gained strength. Aemelia cautiously followed alongside him and the ground in front of her was the centre of her attention. She held out the glowing lantern before her to illuminate the path, immensely unsettled by the faint sounds of <em>whistles </em>or <em>wails </em>that were slowly being carried through the tenacious currents of chilled air.</p><p>He shot a glance over his left shoulder, trying to see if he could spot any disturbed earth as they trailed past... but the ground was completely <em>intact. </em>Something about the untouched graves caused the corners of his mouth to twitch and he quickly turned his head, wisely heading in the direction of the quiet whistling wails. His silence was telling, but so was the mirth that was displayed in his eyes.</p><p>The cardinal knew <em>exactly </em>where the sister would be. Whenever the woman had lingered around his office, she had often reminisced about the late Papa Emeritus the Third. She had spoken of the playboy-pope so <em>fondly </em>that it had irritated him at the time. He had been certain that she had wanted to get a <em>rise </em>out of him... but now, he understood that she simply wished to <em>raise </em>her favourite Papa from his <em>grave </em>instead.</p><p>The conditions were <em>perfect </em>for it. Cold and dry, dark and desolate. She was <em>sure </em>to <em>prevail </em>with the resurrection, and Copia refrained from allowing a smirk to reach his lips.</p><p>Aemelia was growing more agitated now that the sounds of the resurrection ritual had grown into a monotonous hum, which only confirmed that they were far too late to steer the sister away from the dangers of Necromancy. She panicked and began to quicken her pace but Copia reached out a leather-glove and firmly caught hold of her right forearm, the lantern shrieking as it precariously swung back and forth in her grasp.</p><p>"Calm yourself, Aemelia." he breathed gently, clutching her more firmly as she slowed to sync with his strides. "If we rudely interrupt, it will be a lot <em>worse </em>for her..."</p><p>She shot her glaring eyes towards him but he was focused on the graves ahead, his irises glinting with knowledge she did not understand. She stabilized the lantern and set her jaw, averting her eyes from him. She was still confused and annoyed that they weren't hurrying to stop the woman, but considering that the unpredictable entity was still present in her eyes, she decided that Copia was being <em>sensible, </em>for once.</p><p>Soon, they were approaching the last few graves, which seemed to have the <em>freshest </em>soil of the lot. The headstones were difficult to distinguish in the lurking darkness, but the very last one was unusually <em>illuminated </em>with eerie ash-like mists of glimmering turquoise. The final headstone had been moulded out of onyx and was ornately finished with gold leaf engravings, but the inscription was impossible to read from afar due to a morphing shadow falling over it.</p><p>A shadow that belonged to Sister Sulinus, who was sat upon her stocking-clad shins and lifting her arms up as she praised the headstone in front of her. Her fawn hands were grubby from disturbing the ground she was sat upon and her black tresses spewed out into ripples behind her as she muttered incoherent incantations. Her russet eyes were squeezed shut and a frown of concentration graced her brow, and from how much she was trembling, she had been focusing for quite some time already.</p><p>As soon as Aemelia recognised the sight of the sister, she disregarded everything that Cardinal had said and stubbornly tore away from him, darting across the other burial mounds in order to reach the final grave. Copia frowned slightly and leapt after her, reaching out his right arm. He managed to catch hold of her again and she grumbled in annoyance as he yanked her back towards him, ensuring that she didn't near the sister's dubious ceremony.</p><p>"Will you <em>stop </em>fuckin' <em>stopping me </em>from <em>stopping her!" </em>she yelled out in frustration, elbowing his glove away from her now that she had halted. She shot him a venomous look before swivelling around to witness the sight of the ritual again - the turquoise mists had gained momentum and they were nimbly encircling Sister Sulinus, like they were finally listening to her muddled words. Aemelia widened her clouded eyes and took a step forward, but Cardinal prohibited her from advancing further by firmly grasping her left hand. He squeezed it tightly and stroked his thumb over the thin, sensitive skin of her wrist, which drew her attention immediately. He was aware that she was <em>itching </em>to intervene and he really couldn't allow that. As long as she was drawn to his actions instead of the scene playing out in front of them, the outcome of the ritual was <em>certain.</em></p><p>The humming and the whistling wails converged as the mists morphed into powerful gusts, which caused Copia to observe the sister with his wily mismatched eyes. Aemelia wished to observe too and she struggled against him, but he kneaded his grip into her, holding her still. He watched with seething amusement as Sister Sulinus ceased her rambled incantations to pull Copia's serpent-handled letter-opener from its holstered position beneath her leather belt. He tried to resist a smirk and his irises widened in amazement as the sister opened her left palm to angle the sharpened tip of his blade towards it. He <em>urged </em>her to go through with it. Her <em>audacity </em>irritated him, the fact she had simply <em>taken </em>one of his treasured possessions hurt him immensely. But it was clear from his stern amusement, that he had <em>far </em>more reasons to dislike the woman...</p><p>The sister drew the blade across the diagonal of her palm. As a sleek incision darkly formed, it sprouted thin trickles of her red blood, which congealed and thickened as it drooled down her wrist and dried in the gaps between her fingers. Her other hand trembled and she limply lost grip of the letter-opener... it plummeted towards the ground and the tip was completely submerged in the soil, which left the gleaming handle exposed to the supernal turquoise glow.</p><p>When a meagre splotch of her blood settled into the dry, desecrated soil below, Sister Sulinus' russet eyes shot open and she froze. All ritualistic sounds vanished in the space of a few seconds. And it made way for a silent eruption beneath her, which had already started to rattle her bones. She gasped out loudly and leapt onto her grimy bare feet, wearing a hopeful expression as she stretched her arms out for balance.</p><p>Copia's eyes narrowed in thought and his grip on Miss Vial briefly slackened... she seized the unintentional opportunity and turned to face the sister, ignoring the fact her action had tightly forced Copia's arm to settle across her ribs. She watched in quiet horror as soil from the depths of the grave bubbled up to the surface. Sister Sulinus smiled in enlightenment, raising her chin towards the vivid Hunter's moon that was partially obscured by layers of murky clouds.</p><p>She was so focused on celebrating her success, that she failed to witness the first glimpses of the intangible corpse emerging from the grave in front of her. There was nothing remotely <em>human </em>about it, aside from the faint resemblance of a skull that was crudely fastened to a mishmash of bones of varying sizes. The sister only took notice of the revenant's presence once its arms were thrashing about, it was fighting against the surrounding soil in its attempt to grab hold of her legs.</p><p>"No, no, <em>no no no!" </em>Sister Sulinus yelped out, her overwhelming happiness replaced with streams of rejected tears and mournful screeches as the harsh, skeletal hands managed to clutch hold of her bare ankles. The revenant roared out with indisputable rage, its voice similar to the distorted whirr of a motor-engine.</p><p>Aemelia started to dart towards the scene but Copia circled his other glove around her opposite wrist and stepped in front of her, prohibiting her from interfering. She growled under her breath but her anger was swiftly replaced with startled shock due to the saddening sound of the sister's forced wheeze. It was a wheeze that went on for far too long and was certainly a sound that Aemelia would never forget. All colour drained from the woman and she gracefully collapsed over the grave she had disturbed, one last pitiful huff escaping her before she stopped moving altogether. Her russet were still open but... emotionless. They reminded Aemelia of the glass eyes of a doll, or a stuffed corpse.</p><p>Miss Vial fought against the cardinal's grip but his hold on her was too strong and she soon stopped trying, blinking away confused tears as she peered at the docile revenant over his shoulder. Her breathing was shallow as the unnatural creature turned to face Copia and bowed its skull in respect. Cardinal frowned deeply and glanced towards the strange amalgamation of bones, and it finally seemed to relax its formality in order to sink back into the damp soil of Papa III's resting place.</p><p><em>"Well... </em>that was kinda...<em> anti-climactic, </em>don't you think?<em>" </em>Copia said casually, like he was already attempting to lighten the mood.</p><p><em>"Anti-climactic?!" </em>Aemelia snapped in a shrill, frustrated tone, which caused his eyes to instantly settle on her. "She's <em>dead, </em>Copia! Why the <em>fuck </em>did you insist on <em>stopping me?! </em>If you didn't, she would have still been <em>alive!"</em></p><p>"Oh, <em>yes. </em>I am <em>well aware </em>of that, Miss Vial." he replied softly, easing his hold on her. She glared at him and yanked her arms away from his gloves violently, dumping the flickering lantern by his feet. She then sprinted across the two neighbouring graves to reach Sister Sulinus' corpse. Her adrenaline had set in and as soon as she approached the sister, she immediately checked for a sign of the woman's pulse. From how pale the sister's complexion was, it seemed that Miss Vial's first aid checks were <em>futile.</em></p><p>Cardinal sighed and his amusement was nowhere to be seen as he strolled towards Aemelia. Instead of assisting her, he approached Papa III's elaborate headstone and strangely, he wiped the front of it clean with the backs of his leather-clad fingers. He crouched down a little and his eyes skimmed over the engraved epitaph - it was something he had trailed his eyes over <em>countless </em>times already. He sighed out loudly once he reached the last word and lightly patted the top of the headstone before he eased himself up from his crouched position. It was unclear whether he was merely reminiscing about the late Papa or merely <em>thanking </em>the <em>abomination </em>that was place-holding the grave - either way, it caused him to wear a warm smile.</p><p><em>"No pulse..." </em>Aemelia murmured worriedly, pushing up her infuriating lens-less glasses to stop them from falling down the bridge of her nose.</p><p>Copia sighed again and it almost sounded <em>relieved </em>this time. He stepped away from the headstone and skulked around Miss Vial - who was now crouched beside the sister's body - and stooped down slightly. He easily grasped onto the serpent-handle of his stolen blade, which was sticking out of the soil like some kind of enchanted sword. He pulled it out and the force of his action caused him to stumble forwards slightly.</p><p><em>"Gak! </em>I am going to have to have this <em>cleaned </em>now..." he complained quietly, observing the deep scarlet that stained the edge of the blade, before he wiped it off on the red silk lining his cape.</p><p><em>"Poor you." </em>Miss Vial scolded, shooting him a hostile glance. "Least you're not fuckin' <em>dead."</em></p><p>"True, true... ahm... you do realise that we are here to <em>dispose </em>of her, right?" he gently asked with innocent eyes.</p><p>"You mean... we never came here to <em>stop her?!" </em>Aemelia questioned, her irises hardening as she raised to her feet and clenched her hands into fists. "You <em>knew </em>this was going to happen, didn't you?"</p><p>"Eh... <em>maybe." </em>he said in a quiet voice, sliding the letter-opener into the discreet holster of his right sleeve. "There is always one like her every Halloween... either way, we need to move her as soon as possible... before she starts to <em>stink, </em>you know? I think it would be best if we - <em>ahem </em>- burned her. That way... we could make it <em>dignified </em>for her..."</p><p>Aemelia glared at him like he'd just grown a second head and he chuckled nervously, flicking his apprehensive eyes to Sister Sulinus' lifeless corpse.</p><p><em>"And to ensure that there is no evidence that this ever occurred, heh heh." </em>he hurriedly added with a stuttering chuckle.</p><p>"How <em>lovely </em>of you." Aemelia retorted darkly, shaking her head with disgust. It was clear that she was utterly uncomfortable with the situation and she was surprised that she hadn't <em>punched </em>the cardinal for his childish, disrespectful behaviour yet...</p><p>"Come, we shall do it in my quarters, we cannot attract any eyes by constructing a <em>bonfire </em>out <em>here..."</em></p><hr/><p>They were <em>thankful </em>that Sister Sulinus was still somewhat <em>fresh... </em>her limbs were easy to manipulate and with the simple close of her eyelids, the corpse could have been mistaken for an unconscious sister. They were also thankful that the revenant had simply drained the woman's soul from her body, for there wasn't a single mark upon her... if there had been<em>, </em>it would have seemed extremely <em>questionable </em>to anyone who happened to pass.</p><p>The Ministry's wide corridors were a <em>blessing </em>as the weight of the body swayed from side to side. Both of the sister's limp arms had been outstretched to cling across the backs of their shoulders and her torso tilted forwards, her head dipping low. To anyone that passed, it would look like the sister had simply consumed too much alcohol, especially if they took into account the two <em>well-established members of staff </em>that were escorting her...</p><p>Copia winced into a smile as they entered another marble-clad hallway of the newer complex, nodding his head as a few costumed Siblings bowed their heads in acknowledgement. After passing the polite Siblings, he tried to match the speed of Aemelia's strides, which were picking up pace like she knew the exact location of his private quarters. She had been completely silent since they had lifted the sister's corpse from Emeritus the Third's disturbed - and <em>alleged </em>- resting place. Although Copia could tell that she was <em>livid </em>with herself for assisting him with the disposal of a fresh cadaver, she was tolerating it without complaint. She could have <em>refused </em>to help him, but there she was, aiding him with yet another <em>grim circumstance </em>that he wouldn't have managed to handle so easily if he had been <em>alone.</em></p><p>When they passed into the next corridor, Aemelia shot a glance towards Cardinal, who looked <em>composed </em>despite their current predicament. When she allowed her accusing stare to linger upon him, even as they continued to shuffle their way forwards, his eyes eventually flicked towards her - he was unable to resist the dark, abyssal pools of her eyes.</p><p>He held onto her attention and lowered himself slightly, which caused the sister's body to roll towards him. For some reason, he suddenly desired to carry most of the sister's weight and sure enough, the corpse lurched downwards, swivelling around until the head flopped down to rest its chin over his left shoulder.</p><p>Miss Vial frowned with disappointed irritation, but she couldn't look away from the soft emotion in his mismatched eyes. She parted her lips in order to finally speak, but before she could, the high pitched shriek of rubber soles over slab stone rang out and abruptly convinced her to abandon her intentions.</p><p>Copia was the first to halt, and the first to break their unusual stare, firmly latching his right glove to the corpse's side... he needed to ensure that it remained somewhat close to him or the person before them was certain to notice. Aemelia reluctantly came to a stop too and had a similar reaction, siding up to the sister closely... she hated the feel of the limp arm that was still poised over her shoulder blades but she gritted her teeth to refrain from complaining. She mirrored the cardinal's casual demeanour and wore a slight frown, following the direction of his eyes.</p><p>A youthful priest stood before them, wearing a look of bewilderment. He towered above the two of them and stooped down to politely acknowledge their presence. His hair was styled into messy spikes and had been crudely sprayed with black dye to match his smudged corpse paint. Despite his grungy attire, he adorned a Grucifix rosary around his neck, which was strange considering that most of the Clergy preferred to disregard their standing on the night of Halloween. Copia recognised the young man from his weekly sermons, and <em>vaguely </em>recalled the priest visiting the confessional when he had recently attended his fortnightly confession duties.</p><p>"Cardinal! I-I did not think you would be... away from the party so soon!" he greeted nervously in a muddled accent, wringing his hands together, which were stained with streaks of black and white paint. "Oh, please forgive me! I did not wish to intrude, I can see that you are busy."</p><p>The priest wasn't uncomfortable with the fact he had <em>interrupted </em>the cardinal. Copia knew <em>interference </em>was simply a <em>trait </em>of the young man, so the pastor's reluctance was <em>unusual. </em>However, if Copia had looked to his right, he would have seen the turbulent, glaring eyes of Aemelia Vial... and her expression alone was enough to deter the priest from his persistent <em>prying.</em></p><p>"You are... Father... <em>Ramio... </em>no?" Copia asked highly, narrowing his eyes as he tried to recognise the man's face underneath the thick layers of grease paint.</p><p><em>"Yes! </em>Yes, your Dark Excellency! It means so much to me that you remembered my name - "</p><p>"A young priest should not be missing out on the night's... <em>festivities, </em>ah?" Cardinal kindly hinted, not wishing to prolong the journey to his quarters as the body was already starting feel... <em>heavier.</em></p><p>"N-Neither should a <em>cardinal... "</em></p><p>Copia's approachable expression dropped into one of <em>disapproval, </em>his mismatched eyes hardening as his lips pressed into a stern line. The young priest gulped as he widened his grey eyes.</p><p>"W-What I meant was... that I am <em>confused </em>what brings you out here. Forgive my rudeness, I do not usually interact with such <em>esteemed </em>Clergy!"</p><p>"That is quite alright, Father Ramio." Cardinal assured in a serious tone, his voice subdued like he was trying to play down his true annoyance. "Miss Vial and I... we are... <em>escorting </em>Sister Sulinus back to her quarters. She has... <em>how do you say...? </em>Ahm... <em>sozzled </em>herself, you know? She is absolutely <em>shit-faced. </em>She was necking shots like they were melted <em>ice-pops."</em></p><p>Aemelia trailed her clouded eyes towards him, and from the emotion she displayed, it was clear that his jovial poke infuriated her.</p><p>"O-Oh. You do realise that you have passed the hallway leading to the sisters' dormitories?" Father Ramio politely pointed out.</p><p>"Ahm... this sister will be staying in <em>my </em>quarters, this evening." Copia swiftly added, squinting at the priest in an imposing manner.</p><p><em>"Oh yes, yes, </em>of course! No need to explain, your Dark Excellency!" the young man spluttered out, swiping his nervous hands about to dismiss his superior from revealing anything else. "I-Is there anything you... <em>require? </em>Or anything I could assist with?"</p><p>"Eh... if you could just... <em>move, </em>that would be... <em>extremely </em>helpful<em>, </em>Father Ramio..."</p><hr/><p>"I would have preferred to give you the tour of my pad via... less <em>icky </em>means, but ah... <em>nevermind..."</em></p><p>Copia elbowed the ebony door open and shimmied backwards, allowing the corpse's weight to fall onto him completely. Miss Vial rolled her eyes and swiftly grasped her hands around the sister's shins, where the skin was noticeably grubby from the graveyard soil. Copia grunted with effort as he paused and clumsily reached up his right arm towards the closest wall, feeling for the main light switch. Aemelia raised the corpse's legs to rest them by the sides of her waist, her features expressionless. He shot her a short, thankful glance for sharing the weight of the sister and flicked on the light switch.</p><p>With the vast space behind them illuminated, they cautiously shuffled into his quarters, their shoe soles - which were heavily coated in damp soil - screeching over his pristine floor of black and white tiles. Miss Vial kept her attention on the ground below their feet, narrowing her eyes in protest of the sudden brightness of the electric lighting. Copia directed them to the nearest lounger, which happened to be on the left. He had been very tempted to dump the sister over the floor in front of the fireplace, but they were already trampling enough soil over the polished tiles for his liking... content with the choice of his sofa, he swayed her body to-and-fro to gain some momentum, before he finally released her from his grip, discarding the sister over the plush velvet cushions.</p><p>Deciding to act before the sister's carcass tainted the condition of one his precious loungers, he turned on his heels and darted towards the fireplace, leaving Aemelia holding the ends of the corpse's legs. She huffed in annoyance and manoeuvred the sister's legs until they were settled over an arm of the sofa, easing her grip once she was content that the woman looked somewhat dignified. The sister looked like she was merely <em>asleep </em>from the slouched position she was in, but of course, Aemelia knew the sad truth. And her arms started to itch as she contemplated their immoral actions.</p><p>The scraping of heavy wood chunks caused her to ignore her conflicted thoughts and her hollow eyes shot towards Copia, who was knelt down and casually stocking up an extravagant fireplace. She hadn't had faith in Cardinal's strange disposal plan, but now she saw the size of the fire, she understood completely. It was grand and massive, with a thick varnished mantlepiece that had an uncanny resemblance to the ebony door they had entered.</p><p>His quarters were entirely different without the obscuring veil of blackness and she couldn't resist her curiosity... she scoured her cloudy black eyes over her surroundings, sighing deeply as she tried to forget the reason they were there.</p><p>Located to the very left of the large room were the two tall stain-glass windows she had seen the night prior, both were arched and peppered with a mixture of red and opal shards. They each depicted a hellish character, but Miss Vial was too curious to see the rest of the room and decided to decipher the windows another time. The fireplace was in the large expanse between them and it dominated the room, serving as an eye-catching piece of craftsmanship.</p><p>Positioned neatly in front of the fire, two identical sofas faced one another. They were bound in a lavish scarlet material and had an assortment of velvet cushions resting over them. Miss Vial thought they looked quite inviting and intriguing from the clash of cushion colours - which were mismatched reds and greys - but considering <em>a corpse </em>was currently occupying one, it put her off sitting down.</p><p>In the large gap between the comfortable-looking loungers, was a cartwheel chandelier fashioned from wrought iron and beneath it, a much more modest black coffee table. It was slim and although the glass surface was immaculate, it was obscured by a large spread of crumpled magazines. Certain front covers were <em>obscene </em>and caused Miss Vial's cheeks to pinken as she averted her eyes in horror, whereas others - such as the music magazines - intrigued her.</p><p>Deciding not to focus on Copia's magazine preferences, Aemelia trailed her eyes towards the right side of the room. The presence of his record player caught her attention first. It was surrounded by deep cabinets filled with neatly arranged record sleeves, and she could only speculate over their actual contents.</p><p>Her attention shifted to the wall behind the record player, which was impossibly dark. As her black eyes explored the rest of the wall, she realised that the entire thing was an oil painted mural. It stretched across the whole width of the room and faded out towards the rafters of the ceiling. For a wall in the Ministry, she thought it was rather <em>impressive, </em>for there seemed to be an <em>infinite </em>amount of details and perplexing <em>nuances </em>to explore.</p><p>From what she had spotted so far, she could tell it was a beautified representation of a diseased city. The style was satisfyingly <em>classic, </em>but the subject was distinctly modern. The city's buildings were being battered by an attractive onslaught of raindrops, as winding trails of dead lined its twisting streets and pokey alleyways. Hooded cultists kneeled before bonfires, masked plague doctors warded panicked civilians away, glowing eyes glinted from the slits of sewer openings...</p><p>And in the centre of it all, were two figures who had their backs to the room. She squinted and slowly wandered closer, hoping the proximity would help her understand the painting. Her brow furrowed as she could just about make out the silhouette of an umbrella in the shadowed hand of the figure on the right, and the figure on the left had their fingers contorted as they tilted their palm upwards. Her frown deepened and she squinted her eyes to focus... and sure enough, she recognised the faintest wisp of black smoke hovering over their palm...</p><p>"You like my place, ah?" Copia piped up loudly, smirking proudly as he added the last few logs to the generous accumulation of firewood. "I would have... cracked out the fresh <em>incense </em>if I had known that I was having <em>visitors..."</em></p><p>His peaking voice caused her to lose concentration and she quickly averted her eyes from the fascinating mural, turning towards the corner closest to the door. Amusement briefly swept over her features as she laid eyes upon his beloved <em>tricycle - </em>it was polished to perfection and parked at a cool, jaunty angle like it was some kind of <em>art installation, </em>or perhaps a stylish <em>motorcycle.</em></p><p>She decided not to linger on the tricycle - she knew that bursting into laughter was <em>inevitable </em>if she did- and trailed her attention to the left wall instead, which was painted a deep shade of cardinal red. A few coat hooks were strategically placed over the wall closest to the door and held the weight of his black tailcoats that he commonly used from day to day. To Miss Vial's amusement and surprise, a make-shift wooden holder had been crudely nailed beside it. From the snippet of its contents - and the neighbouring <em>Grucifix</em> - she knew that there had to be <em>wooden stakes</em> inside, and she honestly didn't blame him for being so <em>paranoid </em>after his last unforgettable encounter with vampires.</p><p>In the centre of the left wall, and off-set from the main entrance of the lavish room, was a thin hallway that led towards what she could only assume was <em>Copia's chamber. </em>The door had the same style as the main entrance, with twists of silver woven into the handle. After seeing the wooden cradle of stakes, she got the feeling that his door handles weren't just <em>silver </em>to reflect his <em>importance </em>or <em>style...</em></p><p>In the farthest left corner of the room, there was a slender oak bookcase with a vast selection of books on science and demonology and beside it, a modest drinks cabinet that also had <em>silver handles</em>.</p><p>"Come help me with this?" Copia called hopefully and she had to blink to make sure she had really heard him. After a few seconds, she acknowledged him and due to the baffled look on his face, she must have been exploring the layout of his room for longer than she had realised.</p><p>He was stood beside the sister's corpse and had a glove gestured towards it, furrowing his brow worriedly. Aemelia quickly paced towards the lounger, ensuring that she ignored the mass of lewd magazines scattered over the coffee table behind her.</p><p>"Ok, ok... we lift on three." he whispered with a grimace, clutching his gloves around the sister's waist as Miss Vial grappled her hands around the sister's shins.</p><p>"One..."</p><p>They tightened their grip and bent their legs, preparing themselves.</p><p>"T - ah, <em>fuck it... </em>three."</p><p>They hoisted the sister upwards, the right side of her upper back resting over Copia's left shoulder as her arms limply stretched out by her sides. As Aemelia raised the woman's legs higher, the arms only seemed to straighten further and they carried her gracefully towards the roaring fireplace, which was now spitting ravenous golden flames. Aemelia was fairly certain the size of the fire was probably a <em>hazard, </em>but she was through with caring, and felt the weight of the corpse increase as Copia let go to scurry out of the way... which left Aemelia to push the lower half of the woman. After a few seconds, Aemelia leapt back as the flames engulfed the corpse, and for a split second they seemed to grow in size.</p><p>Copia stepped beside her and observed the cremation solemnly, but soon, Miss Vial growled with annoyance and he frowned, as she swiped the novelty glasses away from her face. His eyes widened as she violently tossed them into the fire, breathing heavily. At first, Copia seemed disappointed but when she continued to witness the flames with deep, frustrated breaths, the corners of his mouth twitched, like he was resisting the urge to smirk at her actions.</p><p>"I <em>really </em>don't want to say anything, Cardinal..." she began in a wavering voice, her opaque, black eyes reflecting the warm, unfathomable golds and oranges. He studied her intently and patiently waited for her to continue.</p><p>"But... this has to be the most <em>memorable </em>Halloween that I've ever had." she confessed in a vacant tone, staring down at the bubbling spit of melted black plastic and of course, the woeful, combusting corpse of Sister Sulinus.</p><p>"You say that like it is <em>the end of the night, </em>Miss Vial... when in fact, it is only just <em>beginning..."</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Raising the Stakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Disposing of Sister Sulinus' dead body ended up having very adverse effects on the two of them.</p>
<p>Aemelia Vial was visibly dishevelled and distressed - not to mention <em>concerned </em>that she had even gone along with the cardinal's absurd plan. But she <em>had, </em>and as the two walked side-by-side in the candle-lit corridors, she was amazed that such a plan had been surprisingly successful and <em>discreet. </em>Her eyes flicked about whenever anyone happened to pass them, hoping for the absence of interaction - even the simplest polite nod from a Sibling that passed was enough for her dark eyes to falter. The looming music from the party swept down the hallways, pulsing against the stone and marble-clad walls, echoes upon echoes of bass and melodies reassuring Miss Vial slightly. Even though the lyrics were indistinguishable to her, she took comfort in the presence of the music, trying to focus on every note to distract herself from the reality of their actions.</p>
<p>Cardinal, however, was not remotely <em>bothered, </em>and noticing her apprehension, led the way back towards the party, wordlessly returning any polite greetings they received from anyone they happened to pass. They didn't speak a word to each other but Copia didn't mind, for he too was listening to the muffled music, eagerly anticipating being part of the festive atmosphere once again. His strides were elegant and efficient, and he ensured that he acknowledged his peripheral vision every so often, hoping to see the faintest outline of Miss Vial trailing beside him... the corners of his mouth twitched whenever he caught a glimpse of her, but the hint of the warm smile wouldn't last long enough for anyone to truly notice.</p>
<p>Soon, they were a few corridors away from the main chapel, and the ominous, carnal tones of synth music had grown substantially in volume. Copia's pace noticeably slowed and Aemelia frowned at his actions, but she found herself following suit, regardless of her confusion. As she glanced ahead of them, she recognised the looming entrance to the courtyard and swallowed - it was strange how she associated the doorway with the immorality of their recent actions, but she did, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Yet once they started to pass the entrance, she halted and dipped her head down, loose strands of burgundy hair falling in front of her eyes.</p>
<p>Copia had quite a delayed reaction and had made quite a few strides before he realised she was no longer following him. He furrowed his brow slightly and peered over his shoulder, immediately turning around to face her. He could tell that she was perplexed - she hadn't gotten her head around recent events, and it was clear that she was confused about what she was supposed to do with the rest of her night. She certainly couldn't <em>relax </em>now.</p>
<p>He took slow, cautious steps towards her, lowering his own head slightly once he came to a stop in front of her. He knew the cremation of the sister had been a lot to take in and the <em>last </em>thing Miss Vial had expected to assist him with... and as much as the permanent lack of Sister Sulinus' presence appeased his stress immensely, he truly hadn't wished to ruin Aemelia's night, so he felt obliged to cheer her up at the very least.</p>
<p>"I'm <em>gasping </em>for a smoke." she confessed in a stubborn mutter, more wispy strands of red tumbling down to cradle around her pallid face. She scowled at the faint shadow that had fallen over her grubby shoes, assuming that Copia was now stood right in front of her. She didn't lift her head to acknowledge him and instead swallowed, distracting herself from the urge of drawing a cigarette from the inner pockets of her waistcoat.</p>
<p>"Then... <em>ah... </em>go <em>smoke?" </em>Copia reassured optimistically as he comfortably clutched each leather glove around the hems of black cape-fabric, which was coolly draped over his waistcoat's lapels. "You will be returning to the party once you are done though, right?"</p>
<p>She sharply and slowly raised her head, stray hairs falling away from her face to unveil her stern, accusing glare. He blatantly stared back at her despite her intimidating distaste for his optimism. He knew she probably thought he was <em>mad </em>for assuming her actions.</p>
<p><em>"Fuck no. </em>I wouldn't be caught <em>dead </em>going back <em>there..." </em>she shot back curtly, her annoyance for his expectations morphing into confusion - it was like he had already <em>forgotten </em>that they had recently left a corpse to burn to ash in his fireplace.</p>
<p>"C'maaaan, the party will take your mind off... <em>whatever </em>we did <em>not </em>just do." he quickly pushed out in a nervous rush of hopeful persuasion. "I... <em>insist, </em>Miss Vial. I <em>insist </em>that you come back to the party with me, or... or this whole night will be <em>ruined </em>for me."</p>
<p>"Oh, <em>really?" </em>she asked doubtfully, her black irises steeling over with reluctance. She was resistant to his manipulative charm but she couldn't help furrowing her brow with fascination when he dipped his head a little more, peering at her with the softest expression of pitiful longing she had ever seen. He merely stood there a while and persisted with the ridiculous <em>puppy eyes </em>- she was expecting a sob-story any minute, luckily he seemed set on staying silent. The hypnotic synth-lines and thumping beats continued to filter through the corridor and Aemelia tried her hardest to focus on the music instead of the pining cardinal in front of her, but it was impossible to tear her eyes away from him.</p>
<p>"How would I ruin it for you?" she finally managed to ask, her voice devoid of any emotion like she was paying too much attention to the yearning in the cardinal's eyes to realise what she had just uttered. "I can hardly <em>ruin </em>anything by staying up in the attic on my own - I might play my records a bit loud but - "</p>
<p><em>"Exactly!" </em>he exclaimed with a degree of irritation as he finally dropped the pitiful longing and backed a few steps away from her, clenching a glove into a passionate fist in order to gesture it along to his words. "Exactly, I... I want you to be with me tonight... <em>please. </em>This is like... <em>Christmas </em>for me. I know that I pestered you to dance earlier but it... <em>ah... </em>you know what - nevermind, nevermind. This is fucking <em>stupid. </em>I am asking too much - "</p>
<p>"No, you're really not. I mean... you've asked <em>far </em>more from me before." she stated sincerely which caused him to freeze, his eyes darting to settle upon her expressionless features. "I just... don't know how I'm supposed to act at parties."</p>
<p>"You don't act. You just..." his voice strained over a whisper as he smoothly glided towards her over the slab stone floor. He extended his arms out in front of him and gently grasped each of her hands with his own, lifting each of her arms upwards until he stepped a little closer, trapping her hands against his chest.</p>
<p>"... let the atmosphere capture you, Aemelia. Let the music <em>flood </em>into you, then you can guide your body to the rhythm."</p>
<p>He winked at her confidently before he took a step backwards, swiftly lowering her arms down until they loosely draped by her sides. His hands lingered around her wrists as he studied the doubt in her charcoal irises. She wasn't apprehensive about returning his gaze or showing her own lack of self-confidence - she was just surprised that Copia was trying to encourage her out of her comfort zone. He always did, in a <em>variety </em>of ways that were worthy of an eye-roll, but for some reason, she knew that something about this instance was different. For there was something prodding her subconscious, something telling her to follow the little persuasive scrap of reassurance he'd given her...</p>
<p>Feeling that her silence spoke volumes, Copia exhaled in a shudder and immediately took a step away from her, raising up a glove to the left-side of his head to bashfully stroke back his slicked chestnut hair.</p>
<p><em>"Eh... </em>I... <em>ahm... </em>I will be waiting there if... you... do decide to join me, Aemelia."</p>
<p>She nodded and he reached behind him to clutch at the ends of his bat-cape, extending it out gracefully. He averted his gaze to the ground as he stooped down into a bow, his head lowering in an exaggerated gesture of respect.</p>
<p>"I'll see you there in a minute." she stated simply with a sigh and a shake of her head, unable to refrain from snorting in amusement at how he treated his cape like it was a paraglider. His eyes widened in amazement and he sprung up from his bow instantly, the thick fabric of his cape majestically swooping down to drape limply behind his back now he was standing so straight.</p>
<p><em>"Ah shush... </em>I <em>knew </em>you could not resist, <em>ah?" </em>he teased playfully, his eyes twinkling as he pointed knowingly at her, the lines around his eyes crinkling as he wore an excited smile. "You see, this night <em>always </em>brings out the positivity in everybody... even <em>you, </em>Miss Vial."</p>
<p>He winked again and she furrowed her brow - she wasn't so content with him assuming her <em>pessimism</em> - and with that, he swung his left arm back and clutched at the material of his cape, draping it forwards in a sharp swipe. The black sheet of fabric obscured most of his form - it covered the tip of his nose and finished just above his knees. She snorted again at his movie-worthy mannerisms as he skulked in the direction of the main chapel in an unbelievably buoyant manner.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Upon Aemelia's return from her well-earned smoke break, the spry style of music had changed, and a much slower tempo of song haunted the hallways of the Ministry. As much as she wasn't enthusiastic about attending the party again, she supposed she was at least <em>curious </em>about the music being played. Her pace quickened as she rounded the end of a corridor, heading towards the direction of the main chapel. As she grew close to the entrance of her destination, there were quite a few costumed individuals casually leaning against the walls of the corridors. She wasn't certain why they were there but she really wouldn't have been surprised if they were the Ministry's local gang of <em>busybodies </em>that were taking note of arrivals and departures. She could think of <em>far </em>better ways to spend the evening, she even supposed <em>disposing of a dead body </em>was <em>preferable.</em></p>
<p>Ignoring the curious side-glances she was drawing, Aemelia cautiously entered the cathedral's archway. The entrance's elaborate metallic embellishments of imps, witches and ghoulish apparitions didn't seem so stark with all the festive decorations around it - or perhaps it was simply the lack of electric light that made it less imposing.</p>
<p>Now that she had crossed into the boisterous, roaring atmosphere of the celebration - which she thought was <em>noticeably </em>louder in volume compared to when she had left earlier - the clamour of party guests subtly simmered over the slow, punching beat of the music. The foreboding bassline and revving guitars of <em>#1 Crush </em>by <em>Garbage </em>shook against the stone walls to create a much fuller, fascinating sound and Aemelia decided to cling to those very walls, avoiding the main bustle of the party.</p>
<p>She skirted around untidy tables, discarded chairs, precariously placed wine-glasses - even strewn material from abandoned <em>costumes </em>- until she found a bit of free space to loiter. With a sigh, she casually leaned against the unpleasantly cold wall of the cathedral. She had to remind herself that she was present in a place of <em>worship, </em>but she supposed, as she looked upon the sea of dancing individuals, that the celebrations would have probably <em>pleased </em>their deity quite a bit. The crowd of Siblings and Clergy conducted their hypnotic dance moves in unison, each costumed body a colourful paint splash amongst deep velvet reds and purples and generous helpings of black fabric.</p>
<p>Despite the mass of dancing bodies and how far away from the heart of the party she was, it wasn't long before Aemelia spotted Copia, who was <em>completely </em>distinguishable, even amongst the shadowy bulk of dark costumes and swaying limbs.</p>
<p>His conflicting irises reflected the violet rays of the lighting rig uniquely, and so did the rim of a wine glass, which gleamed vibrantly as he pressed it to his lips. He clumsily shuffled his form around the variety of enthusiastic manoeuvres being executed around him and eventually managed to suck up the tiniest sip of his beverage. Why the man thought cutting through a dance-floor with a full glass of red wine was a <em>good idea, </em>Aemelia would <em>never </em>know.</p>
<p>Before long, he subtly elbowed his way out of the pack of dancing worshippers, lowering his glass so that he could clutch it to his chest. Aemelia frowned with intrigue - he must have noticed <em>her </em>presence far before she had even noticed <em>his, </em>because it was clear to her that he was already headed her way. Copia found the woman impossible to miss, even when she was trying to remain <em>inconspicuous </em>as she awkwardly hung around the outskirts of the party. She seemed so lonely as she raised her head to reciprocate his confident stare, and the surrounding graveyard of neglected drinks and untidy pop-up furniture only stressed her aura of discomfort.</p>
<p>His winkle-pickers seemed to pick up speed as he began to approach her more directly, his eyes fixed to her as he smoothly raised his glass to his lips once again. He took a more generous sip of wine this time and slowed his strides in order to snake his way through the messy obstacle course of discarded tables in order to get to her.</p>
<p>"Ahhhhh this original mix cannot be beat, <em>can it, </em>Miss Vial?" Copia exclaimed over the resounding ambience, adorning a crooked grin as he clutched his beverage to his chest. "It is creepy and haunting... but a very <em>sexy </em>song too, ah?"</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes at him and shrugged, wondering why he had greeted her with an awkward morsel of small talk. He held his grin as he rounded another accumulation of discarded furniture - and being so captured by Miss Vial's presence, he had failed to recognise the existence of a chair in front of him. The chair's edge abruptly jabbed into his right knee and he clenched his teeth together, letting out a quiet squeak of misery. He continued to grin but it seemed more like a grimace in the end due to the way his eyebrows knitted. He inwardly wheezed and briefly paused to shake his right leg before he rounded the offending chair, and eventually, he completed the last few strides of his approach.</p>
<p>"I <em>knew </em>that you would return!" he proclaimed excitedly, his contentment returning as a small smile over his face. "You have warmed to the party, just like I had hoped..."</p>
<p>As he came to a stop in front of her, she noticed that the black paint around his eyes had thinned slightly. His crow's feet became more prominent as he narrowed his eyes at her and bunched up his lips into a tactful pout, his moustache was slightly obscured from such an expression.</p>
<p>"Do... do you want me to get you a drink?" he asked with a hint of confusion, his voice not as booming now that he had neared her. He tilted his left ear towards her to make sure he caught every syllable of her reply.</p>
<p>"Cardinal... you <em>know </em>that I don't drink." she replied shortly and firmly, which caused him to drop his pout to instead wear an inquisitive frown.</p>
<p>"Ah <em>shiiiiit</em>... of course, of course! I just... it <em>slipped my mind, </em>you know?" he disclosed honestly, confidently scouring her features with subdued admiration. "You are just... so... <em>enchanting, </em>I... I have already had the pleasure of dancing with you tonight, so... what else am I to offer you? <em>Ahm... "</em></p>
<p>He paused and he squinted at her thoughtfully, his gaze almost daunting from how intricately he studied the lines of her face. She figured his flippant demeanour was probably an effect of the drink he held in his glove, for the tops of his cheeks were tinged with rosy merriment and over-confidence <em>oozed </em>from him. She hadn't witnessed the latter for quite some time...</p>
<p>"What... what can I offer you, Aemelia?" he continued to ponder, slowly shuffling a little closer to her. "Do you want anything - a <em>back massage, </em>maybe? <em>No? </em>Ahm... <em>ahhh, </em>maybe a backstage pass to my <em>bedsheets?"</em></p>
<p>"No, <em>definitely not, </em>thank you." she snapped in disinterest, scowling at him now that she realised he was extremely close to her - so much so, he was blocking view of the surroundings in front of her. His brazen offer of a suggestive encounter caused him to chuckle lightly, but his irises had the slightest hint of disappointment shining in them.</p>
<p>"It might be wise to space out your alcohol a little more." Aemelia politely suggested, hoping he would take the hint and leave her be.</p>
<p>He deftly raised his brows at her advice and drastically overestimated how much he was leaning - he floundered forwards which caused him to close even more space between the two of them. He wasn't coy or apologetic about his stumble, even when she leaned away in surprise, pressing her back against the cold wall of the cathedral once again. Deciding to embrace his accidental action, he raised his left arm up, cautiously grasping the wall beside her head with a flat, leathery palm. She scolded him with her dark glare, setting her jaw once he casually raised his right hand up, poising the rim of the wine-glass against his bottom lip.</p>
<p>He slowly drew out his sip as his curious eyes explored her face so assuredly, it was clear he was revelling in the closeness. It seemed he had lost all awareness of his self-doubt and that was likely due to the drink in his hand and the festive atmosphere. Needless to say, he had no consideration for any future consequences that were to arise from his own actions. That being said, he did have <em>one </em>particular consequence in mind, but even slightly tipsy, he knew that the consequence he desired was completely out of his reach - however, it didn't stop him from toying with the idea.</p>
<p>His right arm lowered and he stretched it behind him, blindly discarding his glass onto the surface of the nearest table. Now that his right hand was free, he inched himself even closer to her, rising the backs of his leather-clad fingers to stroke the side of her left cheek. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion but she continued to match his stare, her expression softening slightly when he flipped his hand over to caress her skin with the leather-pads of his fingertips.</p>
<p>"There is honestly... <em>nothing, </em>you want?" he murmured hoarsely, his expression sincere as his eyes silently urged her to reply positively. "Nothing that I could... <em>do </em>for you?"</p>
<p>She parted her mouth to answer and he inhaled sharply, his heart pounding that little bit faster as he anticipated the words she was about to say. Words he knew were on the very tip of her tongue...</p>
<p>As he patiently waited for her to reply, the last screeching notes of the music rang out, which was curtly cut off by the distinctive intro of the next song - <em>Daddy Cool </em>- which was an unusual, optimistic contrast to the music that had been played so far.</p>
<p>Copia appeared to freeze before her very eyes, his eyes widening due to the presence of such a song. Strangely, he backed away from her like he'd instantly forgotten about their recent interaction, completely content with allowing the disco classic to distract him. The corners of his mouth twitched into a knowing expression of excitement, his eyes gleaming with sheer mischief.</p>
<p>"The time of <em>the pit </em>is upon us! " he whispered enthusiastically with a smile of anticipation, quickly casting a glance over his shoulder towards the packed dance-floor - where a large circular mosh pit was forming, all manner of Siblings and Clergy eager to fling themselves around. Desperate not to miss any more bars of the record, he quickly returned his playful gaze to Aemelia, who was wearing a skeptical scowl. He extended out a glove towards her, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn't expecting her to accept his invite.</p>
<p>"I will make sure I keep you safe?" he said in a high-pitched tone, his bashful hope causing her scowl to deepen - for some reason she felt disappointed that she was set on declining his offer. She blamed her curiosity.</p>
<p>"I'll... <em>pass, </em>thanks."</p>
<p>"Ah, suit yourself, Miss Vial. There is always next year. You will simply have to <em>behold </em>the spectacle instead..." he taunted flirtatiously with a wink, swiftly turning on his heels to make a dash for the ever-growing circle of party guests. He was surprisingly <em>fast </em>when he wanted to be and all Miss Vial could do was observe the bizarre scene taking place in front of her, with a hard, scrutinising stare.</p>
<p>Once Copia had finally reached the outskirts of the pit, the beat of the song had finally picked up and limbs and torsos began to bash and sway. Some Siblings opted to take a run-up before they collided into another person, whereas others bounced from body to body like they were trapped inside the internals of a pin-ball machine. Copia sleekly slid into the first tight gap he happened to spot, swinging his shoulders side-to-side as he hurriedly invaded any other fissures that accumulated in the huddle of rough movements.</p>
<p>It wasn't long until a Sibling flung themselves at him and he was forced to swiftly side-step, his cumbersome cape swishing violently behind him as he did so. The hem of the fabric whipped against the forearms and backs of those that happened to surround him at that particular time. It seemed that Copia enjoyed the challenge of <em>avoiding </em>collisions, rather than partaking in the traditional fun of a mosh pit. He continued to consistently dodge anyone that attempted to launch towards him, a smirk reaching his lips every time. With every elegant slide of avoidance, gasps and hisses of annoyance emerged from those that were victim to the painful whips of his cape's flow. He didn't notice the verbal outbursts of pain at first, but he did when it persisted and seemed to coincide with every one of his well timed dodges. The eagerness of his movements faded and he slowed a little as he furrowed his brow in bewilderment, his cape limply draping behind him.</p>
<p>Miss Vial was still leaning against the wall of the cathedral - <em>heavily, </em>this time - blinking in unimpressed amazement at the rather outrageous mosh pit. In that moment, she had to remind herself that she was present in a <em>satanic church, </em>and that the people before her, worshipped Satan on a <em>daily basis... </em>she then had to remind herself that the strange, goofy man causing the <em>most disruption </em>and <em>confusion </em>amongst the chaotic cluster of the pit, was in fact a <em>satanic cardinal. </em>A highly <em>revered </em>cardinal, too.</p>
<p>She considered that she was living in some kind of vivid dream and after a few seconds, she pincered her thumb and forefinger around the taut skin of her left forearm, administering the nastiest pinch she could manage... the pain was unpleasant and she actually seemed disappointed when she realised that she was indeed present in <em>reality.</em></p>
<p>As shoulders bashed and chins collided, the more energetic of the Siblings circled the crux of the pit, slamming their feet in time to the disco beat. Copia had now begun to add refined dance moves into his well timed dodges, overly confident that he could avoid anything that happened to be thrown his way. He ducked, he leapt, he spun, he shimmied, he swayed, he wiggled, he retreated... all the while displaying arm and leg gestures that looked like he had been possessed by the very spirit of <em>Saturday Night Fever.</em></p>
<p>"Does this song <em>ever </em>end?" Aemelia muttered quietly to herself, unable to tear her eyes away from Copia's impressive evasion techniques. What she truly meant, was that she wished the <em>embarrassment </em>would end. Everyone was oblivious to how visibly mortified she was for merely being a witness to such an inexplicable event. They were too caught up in the fun of the unspoken tradition of the Ministry's disco mosh-pit, and from how the majority reacted, it was like they had been waiting since <em>last Halloween</em> to spectate such a thing.</p>
<p>Miss Vial cautiously trailed her eyes away from the dance-floor, glancing towards the raised platform, where Papa Nihil and Sister Imperator were located. Nihil was beaming a toothy grin, an expression that even Aemelia could recognise from such a far distance. Sister Imperator also had a distinctive expression - her mouth was in a stern line and her gaze was sharp, though it was unsettling because her dismay seemed to be aimed directly towards Aemelia Vial. Despite the fact Sister appeared calm in her seat, her pale emerald eyes seared through all obstacles between her and the alchemist like something was deeply troubling her. Her glare grew more devious the more she allowed something to eat away at her. Although Aemelia didn't feel intimidated by the disconcerting stare, she could only assume the woman disliked the fact she wasn't participating in the traditional entertainment... then again, she could have been completely wrong.</p>
<p>The song finally drew to an abrupt close, prompting the surreal dispersal of the mosh pit. To save any awkwardness now that the pit had ended, the next track started to play, a track that caused Papa Nihil's eyes to widen in excited accomplishment - the less said about Sister Imperator's reaction, the better. A lot of Siblings were worn out from their zealous moshing and stumbled to the nearest place they could perch, catching their breath. Most of the others stayed on the dance-floor, their rough movements transforming into more ethereal and sensual dance moves, which befitted <em>Kiss the Go-Goat </em>quite well.</p>
<p>Copia, still high on over-confidence, dashed through the bustling crowd, emerging from the edges of the huddle in order to advance towards Miss Vial as fast as possible - he didn't want to lose more precious seconds of the song than he needed to. She scowled in confusion when she realised that he was briskly headed her way, slightly concerned by his look of excitable <em>madness. </em>Once he was nearing her, he hurriedly kicked most of the discarded furniture away from him, wishing to reach the reserved alchemist as quickly as possible. When he finally did reach her, he didn't seem to acknowledge her stubborn bewilderment, and simply grabbed hold of each of her hands, forcibly tugging her as he turned away.</p>
<p>It was clear that he fully expected her to dance with him. He was ensuring that declining him wasn't an option this time by simply dragging her towards the dance-floor, whether she wanted to or not. It seemed his heightened thrill from the atmosphere of the party was <em>blinding </em>him slightly, because it was clear from the sneer of annoyance on Aemelia Vial's face, that she was <em>far </em>from happy that she was being yanked towards the heart of the celebration.</p>
<p>By the first verse, they'd arrived at the outskirts of the dance-floor, and Cardinal deemed they were near enough now. His grip on her arms eased slightly as he turned around to face her, sliding each of his gloves upwards until he could grip the folded sleeves around her forearms. He could tell she was <em>beyond </em>irritated at his behaviour, but he honestly didn't care. He wanted her to be relaxed and loose like he was, he didn't want to exclude her from the fun of the celebration.</p>
<p>As she glared at him - with the sadistic hope that he would do her a favour and <em>fall over - </em>he only grew more confident as she purposely tensed her muscles to stop him from directing her into some kind of dance move. That didn't stop Copia from conducting <em>his </em>movements however and he dipped his head slightly as he began to roll his hips side-to-side, using his grip to sway her stationary form in unison. She tried to keep as still as she could, matching his mismatched eyes with a dark, unimpressed glare when his shoulders joined the rhythm of his hips.</p>
<p>His lack of speech was unusual, but she supposed that the effects of the wine were finally setting in - not that it <em>excused </em>his current behaviour. She thought she was making it fairly <em>obvious </em>that she was completely uncomfortable with the situation, and she knew that he was blatantly ignoring how she felt.</p>
<p>Soon, he grew impatient with the fact she was so uptight and continued his movements as he started to back into the swarm of the dance-floor, until they were completely surrounded by costumed individuals. She really didn't want to make a scene, that's why she wasn't making a massive fuss about how uncomfortable she was - but he was giving her very little choice to resist him now that a mass of dancing guests surrounded her. She stuck out like a sore thumb to those that were spectating and she rolled her eyes, deciding that she would have to play along with the cardinal's pathetic actions.</p>
<p>As she slowly swayed in time with his movements without the persuasive guidance of his gloves, his grip eased even more as a victorious smirk slyly graced his lips. Secretly, he was curious to know how much she would put up with, and now that she was slowly relaxing into every little movement, he decided to raise the stakes. He dropped his arms away from her to let them hang limply by his sides. He continued to reciprocate her gaze - which was hard and spiteful - and bent his knees, sinking down without moving his top half. He gyrated his hips towards the space between them and it was clear that he was excited for the next stage of the dance sequence.</p>
<p>When he was a little more settled with the swinging motions, he reached up his hands and slid them over the tops of her shoulders. He pushed down in encouragement, and she narrowed her eyes in defiance. He widened his eyes at her and tilted his left ear towards her, nodding for her to dip down slightly. She supposed there was hardly any point in resisting now, and did as he wished, but still wore a glum expression to let him know she wasn't happy about being forcibly pushed out of her comfort zone. Now she was in a more desirable position, he centred his head, brazenly enduring her piercing black irises.</p>
<p>He closed the gap between them and rolled his hips into hers, the tip of his nose brushing against the end of her own. She grimaced due to his suggestive movements and braced her determined gaze when she felt his gloves gently settle around her waist. She clenched her teeth and snatched herself away from him by retreating a few steps, scolding him with every fibre of her being. He paused and flicked his eyes around them, knowing the guests surrounding them must have noticed Miss Vial's reluctance by now. Nevertheless, he closed the space between them again, lowering his head next to her right ear this time, deciding that it was best to simply sway to the beat for now.</p>
<p>"Hey, Miss Vial... this is just how they danced in the sixties, you know?" he murmured in reassurance, his warm breath lingering across her nape. "I do not make up the rules. Now come on,<em> grind against me."</em></p>
<p>"I am <em>not </em>fu - "</p>
<p>His hands firmly slid down to grasp the tops of her hips to guide her lower half into a rolling movement, which he gladly met with his own. She glared at him but he merely returned her eyes with sincerity, his palms adding pressure to encourage her to manoeuvre more naturally towards him.</p>
<p><em>"C'maan,</em> Aemelia." he encouraged boldly, his voice straining over a whisper. "The song will be over before you grasp this move, ah?"</p>
<p>
  <em>"Thank fuck for that."</em>
</p>
<p>He narrowed his eyes as his grip continued to firmly assist her movements towards him, now impatient with her lack of enthusiasm. He was slightly disappointed that she didn't share his love for dancing, and he appeared to overlook that they were very much surrounded by strangers and under the watchful gaze of his <em>superiors... </em>two things that Miss Vial was <em>utterly </em>aware of.</p>
<p>Despite Aemelia's discomfort, she subconsciously found herself settling into the rhythm of the dance move, and that seemed to please Copia immensely. She felt absolutely <em>ridiculous </em>but she supposed that everyone else around them was doing the exact same kind of dancing - <em>or worse </em>- so she decided that she couldn't exactly feel embarrassed about joining in.</p>
<p>Before long, his gloves merely clutched at her waist to ensure she stayed close to him, and soon, the distance between them shortened as he smoothly swung his hips to meet hers, allowing himself to adorn a prideful expression of fascination. He was undoubtedly attracted to her from the way his eyes explored her pallid features, regardless of her irritable mood - and regardless of the prying eyes of surrounding Siblings.</p>
<p>Succumbing to the lure of her presence, he decided that he would encourage the grinding further and grazed his lower half against her with much more vigour, using the power of his thighs to steadily brush his crotch against her. He trailed his eyes to hers again, which were narrowed in challenge when she started to meet his daring thrusts more enthusiastically - mostly to prove that she was <em>sick </em>of his mischievous behaviour. His grip on her waist slackened further and his lips parted, a deep breath escaping his mouth every time their movements lingered for a little longer than he had expected.</p>
<p>Copia's eyelids lowered to obscure his captivated irises, and the emotion he held was somewhat familiar - to Aemelia's dismay, she realised that she recognised the expression from the strange, lucid nightmare she'd experienced the night prior.</p>
<p>Although her eyes were soft as she reciprocated his stare, he could tell she was looking straight through him. His grip around her tightened which caused her to blink out of her discomforting thoughts. He dipped his head to close the thin space between their faces and this seemed to draw her away from her disconcerting epiphany entirely.</p>
<p><em>"Grind </em>those hips, Miss Vial." he instructed playfully, savouring the softness of her gaze as the tip of his angular nose briefly bumped the end of hers. She cautiously brought her arms up and placed her palms over his chest, finding the feel of the thick cape-fabric beneath her fingertips somewhat comforting.</p>
<p>"Do not be afraid of being a lil more... <em>forceful. </em>I can take <em>a lot, </em>you know?" he added confidently, his voice straining in volume so that he could be certain she had heard him correctly.</p>
<p>She gritted her teeth at his words, but she wasn't <em>truly </em>uncomfortable with his suggestion because if she had been, she would have pushed him away or <em>scolded him, </em>at the very <em>least</em>. It was like she was purposely exaggerating her distaste to make it seem like the cardinal's attempts to impress and seduce her were failing <em>miserably... </em>when in truth, she had quite <em>enjoyed </em>how much effort he had made so far. The fact he had persisted to ensure that she was executing the dance moves properly had shown her that he was quite <em>patient </em>- she knew how stubborn she was when it came to letting herself go, but somehow, Copia had managed to entice her out of her unsociable shell.</p>
<p>He continued to study her features with intoxicated eyes and once he rested them upon her black irises, he only saw her distant expression again. His mind forced him to decide that it was probably best to step away from her and he actually leaned back - he figured that he had pushed her too far...</p>
<p>But before he could complete his retreat, she leaned herself in the direction he was backing towards. Sliding one of the hands she had settled over his chest, she firmly took hold of his cape's clasp and tugged it towards her, backing away to yank him into his previous position. She'd completed such an action so firmly that he clumsily stumbled towards her, gulping loudly as he bumped noses with her. She peered at him with indifferent mirth, and his eyes widened at what her insistence on him <em>grinding </em>even inferred... was she simply bored of him having control of the situation? Or perhaps... she was <em>into it, </em>though if such a notion was <em>true, </em>he was even more <em>bewildered...</em></p>
<p>He easily returned to the suggestive movements of the twist, but his eyes were wary of her neutral expression as her hands glided up his front until they came to a gentle rest over his shoulders. He could have openly asked her what she was truly feeling in that moment, but he didn't, for he was secretly fearful of her answer. His pulse quickened as the end of the song drew near, but their movements didn't seem fade at all. He found that he was only becoming more engrossed in the presence of the woman before him, each of his grinds lasting longer and longer.</p>
<p>As the next song materialised, a few Siblings abruptly skirted away from the pair, which distracted them from one another. They glanced towards the parting crowd in unison, their brows furrowing in confusion. They silently agreed upon letting go of one another, though Copia still kept his hands firmly on her waist.</p>
<p>Soon, it was apparent what had caused the Siblings to shuffle around them - it seemed they were making room for an approaching sister, who appeared to be in her usual habit but from the way it was creased, it looked like she had thrown the garments on in a hurry. Her bright blue eyes were wide with apprehension and from the manner of her wobbly strides, it was clear that she was dealing with a great amount of anxiety.</p>
<p>It was clear from the way her daunted eyes loitered on the pair, that she was in need of their assistance. She eventually came to a stop by the side of them, shakily curtseying and dipping her head down in respect of Copia's presence. When the sister trembled back into her usual stance, her large azure eyes then landed upon Miss Vial.</p>
<p>"F-Forgive my intrusion, your Dark Excellency!"</p>
<p>Copia reluctantly lifted a glove from Aemelia's waist to wave a humble gesture.</p>
<p><em>"Ah... </em>do not worry, sister, it is quite - "</p>
<p><em>"Miss Vial, I am in great need of your assistance!" </em>the sister interrupted, seemingly ignoring the cardinal now that she had greeted him respectfully.</p>
<p>Copia raised his brows and turned his attention to Aemelia instead, returning his glove to her waist - he subtly squeezed his grip on her and she briefly frowned, but her attention remained on the deeply troubled sister. The crowd continued to dance around them, but it was clear that many of them had started to eavesdrop.</p>
<p>"Please, <em>come quickly!" </em>the sister pleaded, beckoning for the alchemist to follow her.</p>
<p>"Hang on, what seems to be the problem?" Aemelia asked with genuine concern, studying the fright on the young sister's face.</p>
<p><em>"No time... </em>I will show you when we get there."</p>
<p>Relieved that she finally had an excuse to leave the party, Aemelia hurriedly side-stepped towards the sister, which prompted Copia to reluctantly remove his gloved hands from her. Cardinal stared at her with such saddened desire as she left him to quickly follow the frightened sister through the pack of curious costumed guests. He had been extremely tempted to simply trail behind them, but he knew from the sister's manner alone, that <em>his </em>presence wasn't required...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Nekid the Mischievous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The party was still in full, spellbinding swing and the entire place was packed with dancing guests. In fact, there didn't appear to be a soul that <em>wasn't </em>dancing now - aside from <em>Nihil, </em>who had fallen asleep due to the comfortable upholstery of his unhallowed throne, and <em>Copia, </em>who was wallowing in his unwelcome solitude. The lack of Miss Vial's presence had caused him to crash down from the high he had been experiencing. He had dragged a pop-up chair from the outskirts to use it as a bar-stool. His head was low as he perched his elbows over the drinks' table, staring down at the contents of his modest glass of emerald absinthe like he was peering down a telescope. He'd needed something stronger to numb his disappointment - after all, Miss Vial was unlikely to return to the party for a <em>third </em>time...</p><p>Sadly, he wasn't so accustomed to the stronger spirits and his intoxication was <em>inevitable. </em>In his eyes, he had no reason to stay sober now that he was going to be <em>alone </em>for the rest of the night.</p><p>He winced slightly and carefully reached his right glove towards the glass of absinthe. Once it was in his gentle grasp, he steadily raised it towards his lips and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the next potent sip. He frowned in slight protest as he swallowed the green liquid down and slammed the glass onto the table, sighing out thankfully. The strong alcohol took his mind off the fact he had failed to win Miss Vial over... he had been so close, <em>so very close...</em></p><p>He clenched his teeth and frowned deeply, tightly squeezing his eyelids closed when a commotion of giggles and gasps broke out amongst the groups of people behind him. He would have simply ignored them, were it not for the bizarre doting cries that added to the amused giggles. His grip around the glass tightened as he sharply peered over his left shoulder, his eyes flashing open dangerously.</p><p><em>"Shit... </em>you have to be fucking <em>kidding me..." </em>Copia grumbled glumly, narrowing his disgruntled eyes at the circle of eager women behind him, who were all peering down at something with foolish awe. The sisters were reacting like they were observing something <em>adorable, </em>and Copia's interest peaked, but his features didn't show it at all.</p><p>As he persisted to witness the strange, motherly behaviour of the diverse circle of costumed sisters, he eventually saw the subject of their attention as a few women backed away...</p><p>There, amongst the cooing crowd of overwhelmed Siblings, was the small, nimble presence of Copia's familiar, Konekid. And to Copia's horror, the miniature gremlin-like being sauntered about the circle in a make-shift outfit that was <em>incredibly similar </em>to the clothes he was currently adorning. It was fashioned out of black silk handkerchiefs that had been crudely stapled together, but both costumes were almost <em>identical.</em></p><p>The cardinal widened his eyes and flung himself around to face away from the sight of his popular familiar. With a large intake of air, he then downed the rest of his absinthe, wincing as it burned the back of his throat. He slammed the glass back onto the metallic surface of the table and suffered through the sharp taste, dipping his head down slightly so that he could cushion his forehead with the leathery palm of his left hand.</p><p><em>"Yeeeesh! </em>You look like a <em>rat's ass, </em>Cardinal! And how <em>dare </em>you steal <em>my </em>costume idea!"</p><p>Copia scowled into his glove, tiredly shutting his eyes... he was truly hoping that Nekid's presence was only something he was imagining, but he figured there was no way of repelling the demonic pest if he kept quiet. He expelled a single bitter chuckle, and felt himself slumping forwards now that the alcohol was starting to catch up with him.</p><p><em>"Heh</em>, I think you will find that <em>I </em>was wearing it first, Nekid. You were too slow off the mark, <em>ah?" </em>Copia quipped slowly, drawing out every syllable as a wry smile appeared on his face.</p><p>"Hey! <em>Fuck you!" </em>Nekid yelled, and Copia felt the slightest vibration as the small creature grappled his slim hands around the metal leg of his chair to shake it. "Unlike <em>you, </em>I was busy laying down cards and <em>fucking bitches... </em>and now I have arrived to <em>ignite </em>this party!"</p><p>"Sure, sure... <em>whatever you say." </em>Copia muttered in disinterest, slowly moving his left leg backwards to deter Nekid from persisting with the chair wobbling. Sure enough, his chair stilled and he huffed out gladly, but his disheartened expression returned.</p><p>Nekid peered up at the cardinal with his devious eyes, licking the palm of his hand to smooth back his thick mohawk of spiked white hair. To his disappointment, it sprung back up into its usual fashion and he grunted in annoyance, eyeing Copia's slicked hair with envy.</p><p>"You are so <em>blue</em>, <em>ratto." </em>Nekid jeered in a grating, spiteful tone. "You look so sad and <em>senile, </em>what has you so <em>glum? </em>You are <em>jealous </em>of Nekid's charm with <em>the ladies?"</em></p><p>"Ah... <em>no, </em>Nekid. Far from it." Cardinal sighed out, cautiously glancing down to acknowledge his familiar's presence.</p><p><em>"Oh-hoh! C'mon! </em>This party is <em>wild, </em>you should be <em>enjoying </em>yourself... <em>yeesh </em>you look like you are at a vampire's <em>funeral </em>- <em>hey! </em>I could <em>deliver </em>a <em>sister </em>for you." he rambled crudely, sticking out his slender forked tongue to complement a mischievous wink. "Gimme <em>five minutes, </em>I will have a sister here to dance with you in <em>no time - "</em></p><p>"I don't want to dance, Nekid."</p><p><em>"Oh." </em>he responded highly, scrunching his defined brow into a frown. "Why not?"</p><p><em>"I fucked up." </em>Copia murmured quietly, returning his attention to the empty glass that was still tightly in his right hand's grasp. "So... I am hoping that Miss Vial returns so that I can... make it up to her. I... overstepped <em>the line, </em>you know?"</p><p><em>"Ick</em>. You are no <em>fun!" </em>Nekid exclaimed with a grimace, reaching a slender hand behind him to blatantly scratch at the black silk covering his buttocks. "If you are too depressed to hit the dancefloor - so <em>be </em>it! <em>I</em> will hit it instead - with <em>ten times </em>as much stage presence and... <em>ssssexual charisma."</em></p><p>Copia frowned with incoherent irritation and briefly acknowledged the crude creature again, before Nekid narrowed his large eyes and blew an obnoxious raspberry, bolting off towards the group of amazed sisters, his bare feet slapping over the checked tiling.</p><p><em>"Heh, </em>whatever you say... <em>little shit." </em>Copia muttered bitterly, ensuring that he kept his back to the dance-floor to hide his empty expression. The swift slam of a flat palm over the metallic surface in front of him caused him to briefly gaze upwards and he reluctantly raised a leather-clad index finger.</p><p>"Whiskey." he requested in a subdued tone, and the Sibling obliged, gently prising the empty glass from his hand. Copia was numb to his surroundings, but he flinched when a fresh glass slid across the metallic surface to settle in front of him. He licked his dry lips then immediately clamped his right glove around it, slowly raising the rim to his lips.</p><p>Before he could take the first sip of his beverage, his ears pricked up at an abrupt change in the music being played. His mismatched eyes widened at the recognisable introduction of <em>Billy Idol's Rebel Yell </em>and he froze, vividly recalling a memory he disliked very much.</p><p>A memory in which he was draped across the back seats of Miss Vial's black sedan, suffering from a worrying number of nasty bites. <em>His body was heavy. His bones ached. His pulse was weak. His skin was ashen. He was struggling to stay conscious...</em></p><p>Copia threw back the entire glass of whiskey and shut his eyes as he swallowed it down, gritting his teeth as a consequence... he would need a few more glasses before the song ended, he just hoped there was enough whiskey available...</p><p>By the time Copia clamped his glove around his third glass, the song had reached the second chorus and the circle of sisters - who were <em>still </em>surrounding Nekid - giggled gleefully. Copia tossed back his beverage, wearing a piercing gaze like the laughter grated his nerves. He shot a quick glance towards the source of the noise and his eyes widened in alarm. Nekid ripped his outfit away from his pale grey skin like it had been made out of <em>paper </em>and the women roared with cheerful laughter.</p><p>Averting his eyes from the mortifying scene, Copia hurriedly lowered his gloved hands to delve into his suit pockets. He huffed out in depressed impatience and grabbed fistfuls of the assortment of wrapped candies. He dumped them on the surface in front of him and began to unwrap candy after candy, carelessly shoving them into his mouth. He had hardly finished one before he shoved another one in - he was desperate to distract himself from the chaotic presence of his familiar, <em>by any means necessary...</em></p><p>Although Nekid was now running riot amongst the bustle of the dance-floor - <em>and embracing his natural form while doing so</em> - he was <em>revelling </em>in the cardinal's depression. It spurred the little creature to behave as <em>sinfully </em>as possible, and he smirked wickedly, pattering towards the catering table. He arrived at one corner and latched his mitts around one of the legs, hoisting himself up like it was simply climbing a rope. He grunted with determination and let out a squealing fart as he scrambled himself up onto the varnished surface.</p><p>The table was littered with a sublime spread of snack-bites, dessert cakes, golden pastries and punch-bowls. Nekid's eyes widened with amazement and he licked his lips, darting towards the nearest bit of food - which happened to be a rounded dessert pie that was topped with a <em>generous </em>amount of clotted cream... he tensed his hands into claws and swiped the cream into his mouth, shaking his behind in victory.</p><p>The familiar's attention span was as short as he was and soon, he grew <em>bored. </em>With a beard of clotted cream smeared across the width of his oval face, he grabbed a twelve-ounce can of beer that had been conveniently discarded over the table's surface and effortlessly dragged it behind him as he bounded towards the centrepiece of the table. The centrepiece was a curvaceous ice sculpture of a buxom succubus and it towered above him in obscene glory. His needle-like teeth clamped into a grin as he narrowed his eyes in challenge, clambering into the slim dish it was set upon. He rounded the back of it and yanked the beer can towards him, stretching up until he was balancing on his tip-toes. He tipped the last golden remnants of the beer down the lower back of the sculpture and chucked the empty can away. He then nonchalantly laid over the thin layer of ice water, opening his mouth wide to capture the stream of beer... which was being filtered through the succubus' sculpted buttocks. He lapped up the contents enthusiastically, and eventually sighed out in approval once he had consumed the lot.</p><p>He belched out loudly as he scrambled to his feet. He began to pick up his pace, his bare feet slapping as he gained the momentum he desired. He tittered to himself as he leapt forwards, ensuring he lifted his feet from the table. He landed on his stomach and impressively slid across the length of the rest of the table on his belly, flippering his feet in the air for extra speed.</p><p>Nekid was completely oblivious to the fact his mischievous antics had now gained <em>spectators </em>and he cackled out, enjoying the thrill of the belly slide as he kicked his legs out to the sides, ruining platter after platter. Soon, his journey came to an end... he collided with an empty tray and it propelled him upwards. He squeaked with excitement... which soon transformed into gargles when he landed in a bowl of fluorescent green liquid. Punch sloshed out from the edges as he surfaced, and he was already lapping at the solution with his forked tongue.</p><p>Nihil's eyes certainly weren't what they used to be... but he couldn't miss the strange beast bobbing about in the cider punch. And neither could <em>Sister Imperator...</em></p><p>"What in <em>Nema's name </em>is that... <em>monstrosity,</em> Sister?!" the old man exclaimed with a pointed finger, his mouth agape with disbelief.</p><p>"I do not know, Papa... but it is <em>ruining </em>the spread! I will see about replacing the lot <em>at once!" </em>Sister replied in a shrill tone, quickly rising from her seat.</p><p>Upon Sister leaving, Nekid cackled proudly and clumsily scrambled out of the glass punchbowl, shaking his lanky legs like a wet dog. He then shook his behind and raised a slender hand to ruffle his sopping hair, which caused it to pop up into the usual coned mohawk. He blinked and frowned in confusion when he caught sight of his hand as he lowered it from his head...</p><p><em>"Gah! No no no no! </em>Not <em>green!" </em>he cried out in disgust, outstretching his spindly arms in front of him to study the garish shade of emerald that had stained his pale grey skin. <em>"Shit! </em>If I had known I would have aimed for the <em>purple bowl </em>instead!"</p><hr/><p>Aemelia closely trailed behind the trembling sister. They entered corridor after corridor, the flow of the blue-eyed sister's black vestments rather <em>unusual... </em>Miss Vial could tell they had been slung on in a hurry.</p><p>She pondered over the nervous woman's desperate plea for help... she could have simply <em>asked </em>what she was getting into, but there was not much possibility of her receiving a coherent answer. She began to consider possible scenarios instead, like <em>hoards of imps, mischievous manifestations, spectral wolves... </em>even the terrifying concept of one of the ferocious vampires escaping from the undercroft. All scenarios were extremely possible in her eyes, especially when she considered that it was the night of Halloween... and it often caused <em>irregular </em>behaviour in all manner of supernatural beings.</p><p>As they passed beneath an elaborate silver framed archway that was unfamiliar to Aemelia, she began to assume that she was being led in the direction of the Sibling dormitories. She hadn't visited the area before, but once they left the silver-framed entrance behind, the hallways looked like any other section of the Ministry. It was a wonder how the Siblings managed to navigate their quarters without getting lost.</p><p>Before long, the sister skidded to a halt by a plain oak wood door, swivelling on her heels to knit her eyebrows at the alchemist.</p><p>"In here! <em>Quickly, </em>Miss Vial! We do not wish for it to escape! Please <em>capture </em>it!"</p><p>The sister fumbled around for a moment and eventually, a key emerged from the blackness of her vestments. In a panic, she unlocked the door and creaked it open. She desperately beckoned for Miss Vial to enter. Aemelia calmly obliged and entered the chamber, ensuring that she subdued her own apprehension... it was not much help if they were <em>both </em>panicking.</p><p>The first thing Aemelia noticed was how <em>dark </em>it was. The only source of light appeared to be the puny flames of candles, which were sparsely located along the entire length of the small dormitory, and suspiciously, generously arranged into a circle in the centre of the space.</p><p>The floorboards groaned as she took a few more confident steps inside and her actions earned violent hushes and terrified whispers. She paused and frowned, peering about the darkness to search for the source of the noises... and to her surprise, she managed to distinguish the slightest snippet of a pale arm reaching out over the floorboards. She could just about make out the outline of a bed obscuring them from view. She scowled in confusion as she glanced towards the rest of the concerned hushes and whispers, and sure enough, there appeared to be at least five or so sisters located in various hiding places around the room. She wasn't sure why they were hiding, but from the distinct amount of bare skin on show, they could have simply been concealing their dignity.</p><p>Miss Vial wasn't shallow enough to believe that the nervous sisters were <em>embarrassed </em>by their lack of clothing, especially when her hollow, black irises acknowledged the faint sight of a five-point star, which had been neatly formed out of trails of crimson powder. The telling shape spread across the central floorboards of the space and branched out until the star's points abruptly cut off due to the presence of thick shadows.</p><p>In the vacant middle of the pentagram, was a large pile of familiar black and white fabrics - due to the distinct presence of bare flesh peeking from beneath and around the few bits of furniture, Aemelia could tell that the pile must have contained the sisters' vestments.</p><p>The insistent sister's desperation for <em>Miss Vial's </em>assistance instead of <em>Copia's</em> suddenly made an awful lot more sense to her... but naked or not, she still didn't understand how she could help. From what she could see, the sisters had attempted to summon something - if they had been <em>successful, </em>she couldn't really see anything...</p><p>Aemelia took another few confident steps towards the summoning circle and the sisters hushes grew in volume, some reaching out from their hiding spots to wave towards her, motioning for her to keep her head low.</p><p><em>"It will see you! </em>Keep down! <em>Keep down!" </em>one of them whispered fiercely, and Miss Vial froze, slowly searching the darkness of the room with her eyes.</p><p>"What? What will see me?" she asked quietly, not bothering to whisper which caused the sisters to hush her again. "Oh come on, sisters. What's got you all so fri - "</p><p>Aemelia cut off and frowned in bewilderment, for there, perched on the farthest edge of the powdered pentagram, was a single, sly-eyed crow... it cocked its head inquisitively and simply returned the look of perplexion.</p><p>Aemelia sighed out with disappointment, but cautiously began to approach the ebony-feathered bird. She supposed it was a more <em>pleasant </em>problem to face, and it was certain to take her mind off the immoral assistance she had already provided to Copia that night...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Raising the Stakes (II)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After calmly capturing the crow that had terrified each of the sisters, Aemelia had gently released it into the pitch-black grounds of the courtyard. Her mind was still racing with everything that had happened so far, and as much as she wanted to spend the rest of the night in solitude, she knew it would be <em>impossible </em>to relax, let alone <em>sleep. </em>To her dismay, she decided that it was sensible to return to the Halloween celebration.</p><p>Naturally, Miss Vial's return to the cathedral was unexpected, even the shady guests that loitered by the entrance frowned at her with curiosity. Upon her arrival, she quietly lingered around the outskirts of the party, frowning with interest at the bustle of Siblings and Clergy. From her quick scan of the dance-floor, she noticed the presence of a few masked Ghouls who were pushing through the crowd and dipping their heads down like they were <em>scouting </em>for something over the ground beneath their feet...</p><p>Oblivious and utterly <em>smashed, </em>Copia was in the centre of it all, slow dancing with a fresh-faced sister, that adorned an intricately embroidered Victorian dress. The maroon skirts cascaded over her bottom half and occasionally, Copia would stutter his movements as the soles of his soil-covered winkle-pickers slipped on the very ends of the material - apparently his usual <em>finesse </em>wasn't so achievable when he was intoxicated.</p><p>Aemelia crossed her arms over her chest and wore a small smile, shaking her head in amusement at the sight of him. The mirth in her eyes became more prominent as the presence of her entity finally disappeared, unveiling her charcoal irises and the bloodshot whites of her eyes. She barely noticed its visual absence and continued to observe the cardinal with mirth-filled eyes - she could see the delighted expression on the sister's face, but Cardinal's features looked distant, and that only amused Aemelia further.</p><p>Unfortunately, she was only able to observe the pair for a few more minutes, as Copia seemed to lose interest in the woman before him entirely and turned his head away from her to shoot a sweeping glance around the room. When he caught the slightest glimpse of the alchemist, he bluntly discarded the sister before him and swiftly backed away from her, allowing the swaying of the crowd to escort him to the edges of the dance-floor.</p><p>Eventually, he staggered away from the outskirts, slowly wandering towards Aemelia. He had to pause occasionally to ensure his feet were heading in the direction he was facing, but soon, he arrived in front of her, hope blatantly shining in his eyes despite the strong presence of his drunkenness.</p><p><em>"Ahhhh... </em>Aemelia, <em>baaaby! </em>Where you have been... <em>eh, </em>have you... <em>have you?"</em></p><p>Aemelia scowled at how he had addressed her but she decided not to scold him. He was already heavily intoxicated and drawing attention to himself, so she felt that he was suffering enough without a lecture from her. He stepped - <em>stumbled </em>- towards her and now that he was close, she noticed that he was far more dishevelled than she remembered. Chestnut tufts were resisting the slicked restraints of his hair, his cape was slightly askew over his shoulders and the black paint around his eyes was starting to wear thin. She wondered what on Earth had happened in the space of <em>forty-five minutes,</em> but she certainly wasn't going to ask him.</p><p>"I was helping a sister, remember?" she responded softly, keeping her voice quiet to avoid any unwanted attention.</p><p>"Oh... <em>oh yeeeah! </em>I remember now, <em>heh heh... </em>it went.. <em>well?" </em>he asked incoherently with a crumpled smile. He started to lean forwards but miscalculated his balance and began to stagger towards her instead. Aemelia struck out her arms, firmly latching hold of his shoulders to ensure that he kept his distance, and his stability.</p><p>"Let's get you something to wash down the drink... " she murmured with a wince, firmly steering him in the direction of the drinks' table. "... the last thing I want is you <em>vomiting everywhere."</em></p><p>"Nooo, no, <em>Meees Vial, </em>I am <em>fiiiiine..." </em>he whined in a strange high pitch of voice, gesturing a limp hand at her to display that he really didn't approve of her sensible suggestion. "My belly is like... <em>an oiled up heavyweight... </em>it can... take the spirits quite... <em>well, </em>you know?"</p><p>She wore an indifferent expression and started to back away, dragging him with her as she went. He frowned at her in defiant confusion and his head gently swayed from side-to-side as he simply allowed her to manoeuvre him. It seemed like Copia wanted to remain heavily intoxicated for some reason, but Miss Vial could tell - from the dazed, sad manner he peered at her - that he was very close to reaching a state where he lost all control of himself. The sooner she helped sober him, <em>the better... </em>because she knew that she wouldn't be able to explain <em>or </em>excuse the cardinal's behaviour... especially if his hands started to <em>combust </em>with the vivid, cyan flames of his <em>hell-fire.</em></p><p>That very notion caused her to drag him more swiftly, the tips of his winkle-pickers squeaking over the checked flooring. She felt like she was escorting a <em>heavy lump </em>instead of an elegant and nimble cardinal, and grunted in annoyance as she turned to the side. His front slowly collided with her left side and she rolled her eyes as he balanced against her heavily. She wondered why he had insisted that he was <em>fine, </em>because from his limp, dazed state, she could only assume he'd been on a forty-five minute <em>bender...</em></p><p>Soon, they arrived at the drinks' table, where Aemelia propped him up against the table edge. She pressed her hand over his chest and stepped closer, ensuring that she had him trapped in a somewhat upright stance so he didn't sway all over the place. Copia's head dipped slightly and he blinked in disbelief, staring at the firm hand she held in place over his chest.</p><p>"You are... so... <em>warm..." </em>he quietly mumbled with a crooked smile, and she rolled her eyes at him. She then shifted her gaze to silently acknowledge the Sibling - who was currently on bar duty - across from them, but patiently waited for them to turn and face her. Copia's body wavered slightly as he tried to lean into her line of sight, already desperate for her attention again.</p><p>"Nekid has <em>ruined </em>the food... by the way!" he exclaimed blatantly, her dark eyebrows framing her glaring eyes with a scowl as she hushed him loudly. "What? <em>Eh! </em>Do not <em>shush me, </em>Miss Vial. The entire table is <em>ruined, </em>the <em>little shit. </em>He had the same fucking <em>outfit </em>as me too... can you <em>believe </em>that? <em>And he stripped it all off... </em>right in front of the... <em>eh... come si dice? </em>Congratu - no, no, <em>congress?"</em></p><p>"The congregation?" she asked in a deadpan tone and he nodded his head vigorously.</p><p><em>"Si, </em>si, that is the one I meant." he said cheerfully, staring down at Miss Vial's hold on him with a hopeful expression.</p><p>"I wasn't planning on eating here anyway. But thanks for the heads up, I guess." she stated emptily, returning his gaze with disinterest.</p><p>"Yes... his little cork-screw <em>winkle</em> infected <em>the lot, </em>you know?" he muttered with disgust.</p><p>"Yeah... <em>I figured, </em>Cardinal."</p><p>"Couldn't we just - <em>ahem </em>- put him<em> down? </em>You can... <em>make</em> something for that, right?" he whispered frantically as he slowly cupped a glove around his mouth. Despite his intoxication, she could see from the sincerity in his bloodshot eyes that he wasn't just playfully <em>joking </em>about the demise of his impish familiar...</p><p>Aemelia's black eyes widened at his question, but soon trailed from his innocent, incoherent expression to settle on the Sibling, who was now facing her and waiting for orders. Aemelia really hoped that they hadn't been stood listening to the ridiculous banter from start to finish, but from their startled expression, she could only assume that they probably <em>had...</em></p><p>She leaned forward slightly to address the woman in front of her, who was wearing an autumnal dress and impressive wicker pixie wings. From Aemelia's actions, the sister knew that she desired discretion and leaned towards her. The sister cast a dark, lingering look towards Copia before settling her gaze on the alchemist.</p><p>As Aemelia parted her lips to speak, Copia struggled against her hold a little in order to swivel around. Miss Vial's mouth quickly shut as he mirrored her actions as best as he could, only his imposing mismatched eyes studied her features intensely. She huffed in annoyance and administered a loud pat over his torso which caused him to involuntarily inhale. Her actions caused him to back away slightly, and as much as his head was still low to stare at her, she was more content with the amount of space between them.</p><p>"Sorry about... <em>him..." </em>Aemelia began, rolling her eyes as she returned her attention to the sister. "As you can probably tell he's had one too many... I was just wondering if you had anything non-alcoholic. Might help sober him up."</p><p>The sister sniffed as she considered the alchemist's request. She brought up a slender hand and tapped her chin thoughtfully... until she smiled wickedly and said "Milk?"</p><p>"Yeah that should do." Aemelia replied gratefully, backing herself away from the metallic surface now that the sister was setting to work. The sister hastily obliged Miss Vial's request but adorned an expression of brazen disdain throughout her actions. As Aemelia waited patiently, Copia continued to stare at her with quiet yearning but she ignored him, even when his head eventually lolled downwards to near her face again.</p><p>"You don't have to... do this... you know?" he slowly slurred, keeping his tone hushed as best as he could. Her eyes hardened at his words but she didn't acknowledge him. Soon, to her relief, the sister gently slid the requested glass of murky white liquid over the table's surface.</p><p>Aemelia swiftly collected the beverage with her left hand and nodded towards the Sibling politely. The sister narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest like she was <em>suspicious </em>for some reason. Miss Vial frowned at the woman's sudden change in attitude and decided to gently tug Copia away from the table by his cape-clip. Unfortunately, their quick departure from the drinking area caused them to miss out on hearing a quiet - and <em>distinctive </em>- stuttering titter that came from the underside of the drinks' table...</p><p>Guiding Copia towards a sparsely populated space on the outskirts of the dance-floor, Miss Vial ensured that she cautiously avoided the stray elbows from anyone they happened to pass... she certainly didn't want the fresh glass of milk to spill everywhere. Before long, they came to a gradual stop and still holding him in place, she handed him the glass of murky liquid.</p><p>"Get that down you, it'll do you some good." she assured, her grip on him finally falling away. He winced at the absence of her hold and swayed slightly, peering down at the contents of the glass in his gloved grip.</p><p><em>"Mmmm, </em>yes, Miss Vial." he muttered enthusiastically, raising the glass to his lips with trembling hands before he took the first, overly loud sip of his beverage. His mismatched eyes squeezed shut and he frowned in protest at the poignant sensation at the back of his throat. He was bewildered and repulsed by the taste - he knew he had been given some kind of <em>undiluted spirit </em>instead of milk, but he felt that he had already bothered Miss Vial with enough burdens that night... so he kept quiet and slowly sipped his way through the vile concoction.</p><p>As Copia grimaced his way through each sip, Miss Vial closely stood beside him like she was quietly minding him. Her gaze, however, was elsewhere, as she didn't want to make her concern for him <em>too </em>obvious. She quietly watched the lively dance-floor, but after a while, she grew bored of the sight and glanced towards the catering table, where Nihil and Imperator were located. Amusement filled her eyes as she began to notice the devastation that Nekid had caused - platters were overturned, scatterings of crumbs and pastry flakes littered the table's surface and wide lakes of vivid punch pooled to drip down the table's edges. She shook her head at the destruction, and instead shifted her attention to Nihil, who was soundly asleep in the comfort of his throne, despite the loud atmosphere of the place. And then, her eyes trailed to the seat beside him, and sure enough, Sister was present. For some reason, the woman looked <em>disgruntled - </em>then again, Miss Vial thought the woman <em>always </em>looked disgruntled - but this time, it was clear that something was deeply <em>troubling </em>her.</p><p>To Aemelia's discomfort and surprise, Imperator's eyes sharply flicked to settled upon her. Aemelia furrowed her brow in confusion as the older woman's expression became <em>skeptical... </em>perhaps even <em>scornful. </em>But before she could return the same, hostile emotion to display her confusion, a familiar gleam of <em>amber </em>distracted her as it cut through the bodies over the dance-floor.</p><p>Miss Vial desperately scoured her eyes over every inch of the dance-floor, hoping to understand the amber flash she was certain she had witnessed, frowning in annoyance when Copia thrust his empty shot glass into her hands. His actions caused her to glance at him and he licked his lips as he arrogantly stared back at her.</p><p>When the corners of his mouth turned upwards, he took a step towards the dance-floor... her left hand latched around the glass fiercely and her right arm stretched out like a barrier in front of him, prohibiting him from going any further.</p><p>"You really think that's a good idea?" she questioned firmly, raising a brow when he chuckled and stuck out his tongue in reply. She glared at him with concern as he gently pushed her arm out of the way to return to the heart of the party, confidently swaying as he went.</p><p>She scowled at him as he shuffled himself into the crowd again and began to shortly side-step to the rhythm of the music. Somehow he could still effortlessly dance in time. She clenched her teeth and recognised the sudden feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach as she watched him, and it grew when a woman approached him, fluttering her thick eyelashes as she blatantly rolled her body against his.</p><p>Miss Vial scowled at such contact, focusing on the woman's unusual advances. After all, the current state of Copia was hardly <em>enticing, </em>and his dance moves weren't exactly <em>aiding </em>his appearance either. The woman's flawless olive skinned arms snaked over his shoulders and he raised his chin up a little, exhaling deeply when the woman leaned forwards to flirtatiously whisper into his right ear. Copia's movements became a lot more mechanical as his back promptly straightened at her words, and due to this, Miss Vial knew that he must have been <em>enjoying </em>the attention.</p><p>But something persisted to unsettle Aemelia as she studied the way the brunette was interacting with him. She observed quietly, her grip on the empty shot glass tightening as she narrowed her dark eyes in concentration, trying to make sense of her feeling of foreboding. Her heart started to gain speed when she realised Copia's stiff-backed stance wasn't dropping, and his jarring movements repeated over and over like he was stuck in some kind of loop.</p><p>The brunette woman wore a serious expression as she rested her chin over his shoulder and opened her eyes, peering out at the oblivious guests that surrounded them. Her amber irises blazed vibrantly before she inhaled sharply, rolling her head to the side so that she could brush her angular nose over the skin of Copia's neck. She then backed away a little, before dipping her head down again to deeply inhale his scent like she found it irresistible... or <em>delicious.</em></p><p>Aemelia widened her eyes in realisation and her hands suddenly felt incredibly <em>clammy. </em>The empty shot glass slipped from her damp grasp and shattered over the checked tiling... heads turned at the ear-splitting sound but Miss Vial was already storming towards the dance-floor, shards of glass crunching as she picked up her pace.</p><p>Panic threatened to take her over as her fists balled at her sides. She tried to focus on Copia, already going through a myriad of complicated solutions to the problem in front of her. As she approached them, she could tell the attractive woman had him under some kind of spell due to his unnatural body language. He distantly stared up towards the high ceiling, granting the woman more access to the skin of his throat...</p><p>Panic took control as Aemelia began to push displeased Siblings out of her path with the heels of her hands...</p><p>She couldn't allow the woman to feed on him. She may have had a lack of <em>stakes </em>on her person, but that certainly wouldn't stop her from intervening. Now nearing the couple, she started to devise a plan to <em>repel </em>the vampire instead. However, her panic was starting to blind her to reason, and all she could think about was how <em>territorial </em>the creatures were when it came to their <em>prey...</em></p><p>She forced herself to stop pushing guests out of the way and instead, casually sauntered towards them. Her heart was pounding but she masked over her expression of concern, sliding through a last small crevice in the crowd to finally reach them. She stood still for a moment to gaze at the cardinal with worried eyes, before she smeared her worry over with feigned desire.</p><p>Aemelia then darted forwards and elbowed her way between them, ensuring that she jabbed the creature in the ribs. The vampire immediately backed away in confused horror, her amber eyes widening with alarm as Aemelia sent a dark glance of warning over a shoulder. Miss Vial knew that her own actions shouldn't have worked so easily, but she didn't question the vampire's strange acceptance of defeat.</p><p>She could sense the woman was still loitering behind her and returned her attention to the cardinal... who was completely frozen in place, his eyes unblinking as he stared through her like he was in some kind of <em>trance. </em>She kept calm and decided to close the space between them, sliding the palms of her hands over the layers of fabric covering his chest.</p><p>"Oh... <em>there </em>you are." she said softly, encouraging him out of the strange trance by pressing him with the pads of her fingers. The sound of her voice and the unusual feeling of her firm fingertips seemed to pull him back into reality. He blinked a few times and his form relaxed under her hands as she gently eased her grip. Aemelia refrained from releasing a sigh of relief - she never thought she would have felt <em>glad </em>to see his inebriated state again, but it really was a welcome sight.</p><p>Now that Copia was truly present - and still <em>very intoxicated </em>- he finally acknowledged how close she was, and he found the strange expression on her face impossible to ignore. His mismatched eyes widened in fascination as they frantically searched her face for an explanation. When he recognised her expression to be plausible <em>desire, </em>he looked like his <em>lottery numbers </em>had come up - his mouth parted in amazement, his eyes twinkled with bashful surprise and his eyebrows lightly knitted together.</p><p>He closed his eyes and a deep breath escaped him as she firmly stroked one of her hands across the centre of his chest. She firmly grasped hold of his cape's bat-pin, and forcibly yanked it towards her so that his entire lithe body followed. He was like putty in her hands as she tightly held him close, their noses barely touching before she brazenly <em>kissed him... </em>and although Miss Vial considered herself to be <em>acting </em>the part of a loving partner, <em>she certainly wasn't holding back...</em></p><p>His initial lack of reaction didn't surprise her. But she could tell from the hot exhales puffing out over the skin of her face, that her actions were pleasing him <em>immensely.</em></p><p>His lips were damp due to his tipsiness and she could taste the bitterness of the vile spirits he'd been necking down over the course of the night. She refrained from wincing through her actions at first, but soon, her discomfort seamlessly transformed into <em>indifference, </em>and then eventually, into the most <em>authentic </em>contentment she could feign... if she had been <em>honest </em>with herself, she would have confessed that it had been incredibly <em>easy </em>to slip into the character of Copia's affectionate partner. But that very thought <em>terrified </em>her. She reminded herself of the reason she had carried out her brash actions - she was warding off an immediate <em>threat </em>to him, but that seemed like a <em>convenient excuse.</em></p><p>After a few abnormally quick seconds, she gently guided them into a much deeper kiss... after all, she really wanted the affection to seem <em>believable </em>to the vampire behind her<em>. </em>She pressed herself against Cardinal's remarkably <em>warm </em>body even though he was still frozen in astonishment, his eyes large and saucer-like as she continued to hold him in place by his silver bat-pin.</p><p>However, Copia's shock eventually faded and as soon as he simply <em>accepted </em>what was occurring, his painted eyelids fell down like heavy window-shutters. He cautiously met her confident kisses with idle instinct, too amazed and too inebriated to match her brash, excitable manner of kissing. Nevertheless, he was <em>revelling </em>in the moment - why she had decided to kiss him was a mystery to him, but he definitely wasn't <em>complaining. </em>Hope filled him from head to toe as he hummed in appreciation, his temples pounding from his amazement, intoxication and impending arousal. He wished he was sober in that moment and started to pay more attention to the texture of her lips, wanting to savour every little detail in his mind.</p><p>Miss Vial cracked her eyes open and to her surprise, the brunette vampire roughly pushed by her shoulder, squinting her amber eyes in a hostile manner. Although the creature was annoyed that its prey had been claimed by someone else, it almost seemed <em>apprehensive </em>as it skulked away from her, delving further and further into the mass of costumed Siblings.</p><p>Aemelia started to back away from Copia to keep sight of the vampire, but he sensed her movement due to the angle of her mouth and he frowned in refusal, taking a careful step forwards to ensure their kiss remained intact. He hummed again and his reactions to her lips were a lot more coherent now that he was sure he was present in reality. He mirrored her kisses as best as he could, but the drink was affecting his reflexes and he started to stagger to the right. Knowing that he was losing balance, she dropped a hand from his bat-pin to firmly hold onto one of his shoulders, ensuring he stayed still.</p><p>Now that he was balanced, she closed her eyes with a light frown and eased her grip on him, sliding her palms down to the bottom of his waistcoat where she patted him, politely inferring that he could stop playing along now... but he hummed in stubborn refusal, and she felt his gloved hands gently grazing over the tops of her hips as he gently settled them around her waist...</p><p>She couldn't quite bring herself to pull away from him... so she decided to just let him kiss her. It wasn't feverish or forceful in any way, it was gentle and not at all what she had anticipated. Then again she hadn't anticipated doing such a thing... <em>ever.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. His Crutch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Copia's kissing never seemed to cease. It was slow and cautious, and had gone on for <em>far </em>too long. The leather gloves around her waist were more alert than his lips and they clutched above her hips tightly, the tips of his gloved fingers gently rubbing circles over the red fabric of her shirt like he was quietly implying something.</p>
<p>Realising their charade had probably lasted long enough - as a lot of the guests around them were starting to take notice of their actions - Aemelia smoothly drew herself away from him, leaving him frozen in position. His eyes reluctantly cracked open and they were framed by knitted eyebrows. His lips remained puckered, like he was fully expecting her to continue kissing him. He tensed his gloves around her waist, fearing that she would leave him altogether.</p>
<p>His conflicting irises were hazy as he relaxed his mouth into a thin line, the mixture of his drunkenness and his attraction to her finally catching up to him. Despite his heavy inebriation, he was extremely certain of his desire and adoration for her, and didn't even think to question her reasons for making the first move. He was too overwhelmed by the fact the kiss been completely <em>real, </em>and not some fleeting <em>mirage...</em></p>
<p>"No, no... <em>don't leave..." </em>he murmured quietly, his eyes displaying a soft emotion as they searched her face - perhaps he was finally beginning to look for something that would explain what had just happened.</p>
<p>"I have to." she breathed sincerely, keeping the distance between them short as she could feel his balance teetering again. "I can't let that... <em>vampire </em>get away..."</p>
<p><em>"Vampire? </em>What... <em>vampire? Heh... </em>where is the <em>vampire, </em>Miss Vial?" he loudly chuckled, which caused her to hush him quickly... she could feel fresh sets of eyes settle on them and she ensured the gap between them lengthened slightly.</p>
<p><em>"Eh... </em>I say let it <em>fuck off, </em>ah?" he said with a crooked smile, leaning his weight forwards to close the space between them again... but he lost control of his balance and started to collapse onto her. She widened her eyes and swiftly extended a leg out behind her before his fall was halted by her right shoulder. She firmly supported his weight to stop him from tumbling down any further, wearing a determined expression.</p>
<p><em>"Whoaaaa </em>you are a <em>lot </em>closer than I intended, <em>heh heh!" </em>he slurred out in amusement, wearing a grateful smile as she continued to hold the weight of his slouched form. He exhaled sharply and wondered why she continued to assist him, he was honestly surprised that she wasn't <em>embarrassed </em>by his behaviour at this point - truthfully, she'd been more <em>mortified </em>when she'd witnessed some of his <em>sober </em>actions.</p>
<p>"I think you've partied long enough, Cardinal. How about I help you back to your quarters?" she offered politely when he sank down slightly, his chin coming to a gentle rest over her right shoulder as he let out a groan of disapproval.</p>
<p><em>"Pleeeease, </em>Miss Vial... I am <em>fine, </em>really. I am <em>fine </em>here. I am <em>right </em>where I want to be. Maybe not... <em>doing </em>who I want to be <em>doing </em>but ..."</p>
<p>She raised a brow as he slowly draped his arms around her to lightly slide the palms of his gloves down the length of her back. His head on her shoulder became heavier as his arms tightened around her to lock her in an embrace... which she didn't respond to.</p>
<p>As much as she knew that Copia was quite fond of her, she felt uncomfortable reciprocating anything now that he was no longer in immediate danger. After all, the man was <em>heavily intoxicated</em>, he wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to make any rational decisions. However, she was <em>thankful </em>that he was drunk, because it was unlikely that he would remember their kiss once the alcohol wore off... if he'd been <em>sober </em>he would have <em>never </em>allowed her to move on like nothing had ever happened.</p>
<p>The crowd around them began to change their style of dance as the intro of another song began to play. The song caused Copia to crack into a playful smile and his embrace eased slightly... but he certainly wasn't letting go of her. He slowly raised his heavy head from her shoulder until he could stare at her closely, deeply huffing out a sigh. The more he looked at her, the more his head began to dip downwards and soon, his forehead met with hers, her charcoal irises searing into his very drunken eyes.</p>
<p>"You... <em>ah... </em>you like <em>Abba?" </em>he asked in a quiet voice, letting out a breathy chuckle as he revelled in the closeness of her eyes. "If you <em>don't... </em>by the end of this song... <em>you will."</em></p>
<p>He winked at her and lightly snorted in amusement, half-listening to <em>Lay All Your Love On Me </em>as she reluctantly sighed out in defeat. She slid her hands up his arms and grasped hold of his shoulders to gently push him away from her.</p>
<p>"If... " she paused, letting out a sigh of frustration. "... if I dance with you to this <em>bloody song, </em>will you <em>please </em>let me take you back to your quarters?"</p>
<p><em>"Ohhhhh, </em>Miss Vial!" he moaned out in a breathy rasp, blush starting to coat his cheeks. "I thought you would <em>never </em>ask. <em>Of course of course of course</em> I will allow you to do that. In fact, <em>I encourage </em>you to do that - "</p>
<p>Cardinal gulped down an involuntary blast of air as she firmly dragged him closer, bluntly cutting his excited chatter short. He poorly attempted to lead their movements, swaying to the right... but he heavily staggered instead, which prompted Miss Vial to dart forwards, hooking her arms under his armpits to pull him upright. He wore a crumpled smile and wiggled his hips from side to side now that she was holding him in place. Unfortunately, her thoughtful actions had made them incredibly close again. As a consequence, Copia was basking in her presence, lazily searching her eyes with his own to check that he was the centre of her attention... and he certainly <em>was, </em>but mainly because she feared that he would <em>fall over </em>again.</p>
<p>He slowly and shakily closed the space between them, but rocked his head to the right, dipping it downwards so that he could rest his chin over her shoulder. His arms subtly rebelled against her firm hold as he heavily raised them to snake them around her waist, his eyelids falling shut as he let out a single contented sigh. His hips continued to sway, as Aemelia guided their steps, her black eyes darting about to make sure they weren't about to <em>stamp </em>on anyone's toes... or head into a vacant space where they would be easily seen by the wary gazes of <em>Nihil </em>or <em>Imperator.</em></p>
<p>She wanted to spare Copia of his superiors' attention while he was in a vulnerable, inebriated state. The man had worked hard for his position so far - she hardly wished from him to be <em>overlooked </em>or <em>dismissed </em>because he'd happened to overestimate his alcohol tolerance.</p>
<p>"See?" he murmured calmly, his head seeming heavier and heavier the more his chin relaxed over her shoulder. "I <em>told </em>you that you would like <em>Abba..."</em></p>
<p>"What? What are you talking about?" she questioned quietly, furrowing her brow in confusion. She suddenly wished that she hadn't encouraged him to continue the conversation.</p>
<p><em>"You </em>are leading the dance... no?"</p>
<p>"That doesn't mean anything." she retorted hurriedly, her frown becoming one of slight annoyance.</p>
<p><em>"Ohhhh... </em>but it <em>does</em>, Aemelia... you are even... jiggling your <em>hips </em>in time with mine, <em>heh heh heh heh. </em>Very good... very, very <em>gooood."</em></p>
<p>He reminded her of <em>Nekid </em>in that moment - clearly the cardinal had reached the stage of intoxication where his subconscious was allowed to roam <em>free... </em>the sooner the song <em>ended, </em>the better... because she really didn't want him saying much more than he already had.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aemelia was thankful that Copia was only a few inches taller than her - it made escorting him through the corridors of the Ministry much <em>easier </em>as he simply balanced against her like she was a reliable crutch. Other than him chuckling to himself or slurring out some incomprehensible <em>nonsense, </em>they spent most of the journey to his quarters in pleasant silence. To Miss Vial's relief, the hallways were completely vacant and that enabled her to pick up the pace slightly, but Copia's legs couldn't quite match her speed, so the tips of winkle-pickers scuffed along the slab stone as she guided him back to his chambers.</p>
<p>The distinctive, silver-handled door to his personal quarters appeared faster than Aemelia had anticipated and she had to back track slightly, before she carefully traipsed up the few iron steps, lugging him with her like he was an exhausted toddler. Now level with the door-frame, she finally let go of him and her sudden absence caused him to topple forwards, until he uncomfortably planted his face against the ebony wood of the door. He scrunched up his face and groaned loudly in discomfort, leaning against the wooden surface like he was unable to move. His pathetic reaction only showed that Miss Vial had made a sensible decision by bringing him back to his own room.</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes when he let out another muffled groan and reached an arm towards him, sliding her hand across his front in order to delve into the pockets of his waistcoat, in search of the key to his door. His expression relaxed into a crumpled smile and he tittered at the tickling sensation of her hand as she wiggled the key out from the depths of his pockets. He hummed appreciatively when her fist slid over his chest as she withdrew herself from him. She gently patted his left shoulder with her free hand, silently inferring that she wished for him to move away from the door... <em>but he didn't budge.</em></p>
<p>"I can't get this in with you <em>stood in front of me, </em>Cardinal. Could you shuffle over there a bit?" she asked, her voice hushed in case someone happened to pass by.</p>
<p>"Ahhh... <em>no." </em>he quipped playfully, which was soon followed by a series of breathy chuckles. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and lightly pushed his right side, hoping that it would encourage him to move over... but he eagerly <em>seized </em>the opportunity instead. He clumsily staggered towards her and cornered her against the right sight of the door-frame, a single wobbly glove rising to the door's surface to steadily support his wavering form. He loomed before her, dipped his head down and blatantly left a lingering kiss wherever his lips happened to land.</p>
<p><em>"Copia..." </em>she warned in a threatening tone, her entire body tensing due to his abrupt actions. He moaned quietly in acknowledgement but his damp lips proceeded to travel across her left cheek. He inadvertently groaned deeply once he arrived at the side of her mouth and pressed a soft, sincere kiss to the edges of her lips. She huffed and gently pushed him away from her, ignoring his disappointed expression as she shoved the key into the door, firmly twisting it until it unlocked with a loud <em>clunk.</em> She struck an elbow out and it creaked open unveiling the darkness of his quarters.</p>
<p>"You can lean on me, if you like." Aemelia offered sternly, hoping it would subtly persuade him to forget about <em>kissing </em>her again - he accepted her offer, though his incoherent mind was still considering the feel of her lips. With her steady arm clutching across the width of his ribs, his body slumped against her left side, and she guided him through the open door, slowly entering the vast pitch-black of Copia's room. He adorned a wet, crumpled smile as the door heavily slammed shut behind them. Miss Vial briefly froze at the sound, and frowned as she continued to shuffle forwards, steering him towards the left side of the room.</p>
<p><em>"Ooooh... </em>where are we going, Miss Vial? The... the sofa is right <em>there - "</em></p>
<p>"You're gonna want more than a sofa to cushion that head of yours, trust me. You'll thank me in the morning." she grumbled, escorting him towards the off-set hallway where his chamber door was located. As they neared the end of the short corridor, his weight lifted from her slightly and she was silently fascinated, for he suddenly seemed to stand somewhat <em>competently. </em>She released her hold on him and they turned to face each other.</p>
<p>She couldn't see much of him through the darkness - aside from a slash of light bouncing from his mischievous eyes - but she could tell he was managing to stand perfectly upright without trembling at all... she narrowed her eyes at his sudden lack of intoxication, but they soon widened when he confidently stepped closer, his leather gloves creaking as they cupped around her jaw. The scent of wine and absinthe was strong now that his face lingered before her own and for some reason, she felt compelled to allow his proximity.</p>
<p>"You are most <em>kind </em>for doing this, Miss Vial." he whispered, his painted eyelids shrouding the gleam of his mismatched irises. "Please... allow me to <em>repay </em>you... I am still in <em>debt </em>to you, after all."</p>
<p>"You don't have to do anyth - "</p>
<p><em>"I insist." </em>he breathed firmly, the smooth tips of his gloves caressing the sides of her jaw. "I will do <em>anything </em>you ask of me. <em>Anything."</em></p>
<p>"You're <em>drunk, </em>Cardinal. <em>Of course </em>you're willing to do <em>anything - "</em></p>
<p>"Yes... <em>I am, </em>but... " he trailed off and heavily sighed, a warm cloud of his alcoholic breath puffing out into her face before he hummed in hesitation. "I have asked... so much of you tonight, Aemelia. And you have exceeded all of my... <em>expectations. </em>And ah... no one has ever... <em>minded </em>me before. Surely I should <em>repay </em>you for that, at the very least."</p>
<p>"So... <em>what? </em>This is yet another <em>debt </em>you've accrued?" she questioned in a stubborn tone, setting her jaw as he continued to caress the skin there.</p>
<p>"Sure, a <em>fresh </em>one that... well... I guess I could always clear <em>this one </em>tonight, ah? Name your payment."</p>
<p>"You can repay me by going to <em>sleep." </em>she replied, determinedly squinting at the familiar glints of his widened eyes.</p>
<p><em>"No no no! </em>Not like that, Aemelia... <em>ehhhh... </em>like... "I'd like to sit... on the <em>bed </em>so that you can pleasure me, Cardinal..." or even... <em>"Undress me!" </em>or... <em>something </em>along <em>those lines."</em></p>
<p>"You never deemed the terms of these debts to me before, what if I don't want that from you?" she inquired in a hushed, sincere tone.</p>
<p>"You... don't want <em>pleasure?"</em></p>
<p>"Not from a shit-faced <em>git, </em>no." she swiftly snapped, impassively staring into his gleaming eyes.</p>
<p>He chuckled lowly at her dismal response and eased his gloves down the sides of her neck, hastily leaning towards her before she could understand what was happening. His eyes shut and he carefully lowered his head, trapping her in place with a wistful kiss. He hummed deeply with satisfaction and he swore - <em>though it may have just been his drunken imagination </em>- that he felt her lips lightly pressing back...</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Unfortunate Sermon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Ministry's corridors were <em>deserted </em>for the majority of November first. Most Siblings were sleeping off their colossal hangovers, and even members of the Clergy were purposely keeping to their rooms, pretending they were hungover too... when really, they were trying to avoid attending Papa Nihil's traditional post-Halloween <em>sermon. </em>The hour-long afternoon preach was infamous for being <em>dull </em>and <em>far too long, </em>so most of the Ministry had learnt to come to life after <em>four-o-clock </em>to ensure they weren't roped into witnessing such a thing.</p><p>And every year, Cardinal Copia was left with the gruelling task of gathering at least <em>some </em>people to fill the chapel's pews<em>, </em>to make sure that Papa Nihil remained <em>content </em>with his own traditions. The cardinal's persuasion was often enough to have some Siblings turn up, but this year, considering that <em>he </em>was also immensely <em>hungover, </em>his persuasion was quickly turning into <em>panicked desperation.</em></p><p>When he'd first cracked his eyes open, he'd groaned loudly due to the uncomfortable pulse of his temples and the bitter taste of alcohol that coated his tongue. It had taken him quite some time before he'd actually prised himself out of bed, his dishevelled, creased suit uncomfortably clinging to his aching form. After some time, he idly slid his cape from his person, and finally exited his chamber. He cautiously wandered through his vast quarters, cupping his gloved hands over his face now that stark rays of sunlight were confidently bursting through the stain-glass windows. His tawny brown hair was completely askew and the coats of black paint covering his top lip and eye-sockets were thin and faded. He turned his back to the sunlight and lowered his hands from his face, frowning into a drawn out yawn. He sighed deeply and reluctantly rolled up his right sleeve, squinting in protest as he tried to make sense of his wrist-watch...</p><p>It was past <em>noon, </em>and that left him with very <em>little </em>time to complete his annual duty.</p><p><em>"Ah shiiiiiiit." </em>he hissed in displeasure, hastily dropping his sleeve. He grumbled in discomfort but lugged his heavy bones in the direction of the door - he had <em>no idea </em>how he was going to fill those pews... but he was going to make <em>damn sure </em>his superior didn't arrive to an empty chapel.</p><hr/><p>At one-thirty, Nihil promptly arrived. The main cathedral was still covered in festive party decorations, but the additions of the speaker system, drinks area and catering table, were nowhere to be seen. In their place were the usual symmetrical rows of pews and an overwhelming silence as the entire venue waited with patient eyes and ears now that Nihil had graced them with his unholy presence.</p><p>The only thing audible was Nihil himself. As he rounded the rear of the sparsely occupied pews and glided down the wide central aisle towards the pulpit, his embroidered robes rustled, his right hand clutching his oxygen mask to his chest. He leisurely dragged an oxygen tank behind him and the wheels squeaked highly. The ear-piercing sound echoed throughout the entire church and caused most who were present to wince in discomfort. To each of his sides, were two pale, blonde-haired children, who were dressed in sharp black suits and had thick black paint outlining their eyes. They walked beside him eerily, their faces blank as their hands calmly clutched to their matching ties.</p><p>Soon, the twins veered away from him to take their seats on the first two pews and Nihil halted, parking his tank by a heavily eroded step. He slowly scaled the few steps up to the pulpit, seemingly unaware that he was about to face an <em>extremely </em>empty cathedral...</p><p>Before the old man managed to ascend the final step, there was a commotion of whispers and footsteps. Heads quickly turned to the source of the sounds, and Copia wildly glared his bloodshot eyes, hurriedly nodding his head forwards to quietly direct their attention to the anti-pope, who was now addressing the sparse audience with squinted eyes.</p><p>The cardinal exhaled sharply, his leather gloves creaking as he tightened his grip around the black shirt collars of two limp-bodied Ghouls. Their masked heads lolled from side-to-side as he forcefully guided them towards the nearest row of pews. He swiftly dropped them onto the seats - with a tremendous <em>thud </em>- and dipped his head towards the edges of their masks, wearing a look of authority.</p><p>"You sit here for a good ten minutes, then you get up to walk back and forth, ok?" he instructed in a subdued tone, his stressed eyes flicking between the two of them. "We want to make it seem like there are lots of <em>late arrivals, </em>so make it real <em>noisy... </em>really <em>draw out </em>your footsteps so he can hear them."</p><p>The larger of the two Ghouls, who was sat on the right, tipped up his palms in confusion and tilted his head inquisitively like he was asking a question.</p><p>"Do not worry about that, ah?" Copia calmly replied in a flippant tone, narrowing his eyes as he backed away from them slightly. "His sight is not so good. You just make sure your feet can be heard. I do not want my <em>ass </em>on the line because you have <em>marshmallow feet, </em>ok?"</p><p>He wore a smile that was reminiscent of grimace and both Ghouls quickly nodded in understanding, which caused him to smoothly back away from them. His forced expression dropped and was replaced with a wince as he clumsily stumbled out from the pew. He held his hands out by his sides to regain his balance, the clatter of his scuffed winkle-pickers echoing loudly. When he managed to steady, he cleared his throat like nothing had ever occurred and tugged the lapels of his dishevelled suit jacket, heading over to the very rear of the cathedral to ensure that he was definitely out of Nihil's view.</p><p>As the old man's speech droned on, Copia silently observed, reaching his gloves up to his head to frantically smooth back his unruly chestnut hair. To his disappointment, his locks raised back up into horn-like tufts once his arms draped by his sides and he huffed out in annoyance. When ten minutes passed, both Ghouls peered over their shoulders at him like they were silently making sure that it was the time Copia indicated. He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at them, crossing his arms over his chest expectantly.</p><p>Both Ghouls immediately stood due to Copia's stern body language. They paused, standing stiffly as they apologetically looked at one another... and then they began to carry out Copia's task. One darted to the left and the other darted to the right, slamming their soles down as hard as possible to ensure every single step was heard.</p><p>Cardinal's eyes widened as they briskly walked from one side of the cathedral to the other, splitting the mass of pews between them. Their pattern soon changed and they began to add in more rows, their pace increasing with every bellowed word that Nihil expelled. Copia's apprehension grew when the Ghouls began to <em>jog, </em>and soon, the thinner of the two started to cross over, darting into the lines of pews that the larger Ghoul was happily taking care of.</p><p>Although the cardinal was astonished by the strange sight of his energetic Ghouls, his ridiculous idea seemed to be <em>working, </em>for Nihil was grinning through every syllable he uttered. But that didn't make the scene of the Ghouls any less <em>surreal, </em>or <em>worrying </em>now that they had almost reached a sprint...</p><p>Concern washed over his features as he went to step forwards, but a flash of <em>burgundy </em>in his peripheral vision forced him to swivel to his left... and sure enough, <em>Aemelia Vial </em>was stood beneath the arched entrance, wearing her usual attire and a quizzical expression. His eyes widened into saucers when he realised that her confused black irises were glued to the sprinting Ghouls, and he began to step towards her.</p><p><em>"Fuckin' hell." </em>she muttered emptily, and she quickly turned on her heels before he could even approach her, swiftly exiting the cathedral before she found herself in another <em>ridiculous </em>scenario due to the puppy eyes of Copia.</p><p>Cardinal gritted his teeth in annoyance. He was grateful that she had turned up to help him, <em>yet again... </em>but it was understandable that she had abandoned him after witnessing the absurd antics of his Ghouls. His gloves balled into fists and he turned to face them, his expression hateful as he began to stride towards the central aisle with purpose. The Ghouls had started to enjoy their task far too much, for their sprinting was now turning into a game of <em>tag... </em>and Copia shook his head in disapproval, striding closer and closer in order to scold them...</p><p>But as he passed by the second to last row of benches, a set of crafty, pale grey hands reached out from the underside of a pew and latched onto the hem of Copia's right trouser-leg. The hands violently tugged and Copia's leg jutted outwards, forcibly causing the softest part of his shoe to collide with the sharp corner of the pew. He yelled out an agitated hiss of "Fucking <em>shit!" </em>and was so taken aback by the pain over his foot that he <em>stumbled forwards... </em>face planting the cold checked tiles of the central aisle.</p><p>It was then, that he suddenly wished he'd never decided to leave his bed that morning...</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Insufficient Conclusion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Copia's hangover persisted to linger the next day, and so did his feelings of discomfort and embarrassment. He blamed his <em>age </em>mostly. He knew he had gotten <em>carried away </em>with the Halloween festivities, and it had caused him to forgot that he was no longer the spry, reckless young Copia... who used to nimbly hop out of bed with bright eyes after a rough night of heavy drinking... he certainly wasn't going to repeat his actions anytime soon.</p><p>The day prior, he'd returned to his living quarters after the cringe-inducing events of Nihil's sermon, and he'd been in such a rush to do so, that he'd ended up crashing out over the cushions of one of his plush velvet sofas. His lack of energy and his desire to disconnect from the rest of the Ministry for a while had blinded him to his true disappointing reality. He overlooked that Miss Vial, the woman who he had been <em>arduously </em>pursuing for the past few months, had finally refused to help him out. She had tolerated all kinds of situations so far, and more importantly, had still aided him even though she had feelings of extreme unease or confusion when the circumstances had become highly <em>questionable.</em></p><p>After the <em>shambles </em>of a sermon he wasn't surprised that she had simply <em>left. </em>He understood that there were only so many shenanigans she would put up with now - he only hoped the mischief from Halloween was fading, for he knew he wouldn't be able to rely on her if he kept thoughtlessly throwing her out of her comfort zone... he decided it was probably the best time to <em>make amends, </em>before she got used to the lack of his presence...</p><p>Now freshly groomed and smartly dressed in his pristine red tuxedo - a complete <em>contrast </em>to the sore sight of him the day prior - he politely waited in front of the door to the alchemist's attic with bated breath.</p><p>He swallowed apprehensively and shifted his weight to his tiptoes, leaning himself forwards to rap his leather-clad knuckles against the wooden door. He then fell back onto his cuban heels, anxiously anticipating the sight of her black eyes. After a few seconds of waiting, he shot a nervous glance over each of his shoulders like he was checking whether anyone else was nearby... which was rather strange. It was strange because it was <em>early morning</em> and most of the Ministry didn't bustle into life until nine-thirty. He was also present in the most remote part of the entire Ministry, most people avoided the old complex, given the dilapidated nature of the building and the incredibly dim electric lighting. Nevertheless, he continued to check for the presence of others...</p><p>After a minute or so, Copia was confident that he was completely alone, and he peered down at his freshly polished winkle-pickers, hoping that he hadn't arrived too early. <em>Rudely awakening her </em>was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He swallowed nervously as another minute passed, and he quietly debated whether to knock again...</p><p>To his surprise, she was indeed <em>awake, </em>for the doorknob abruptly swivelled, the metallic twisting sound causing him to clear his throat and face forwards, his gloved hands clutching the lapels of his tailcoat.</p><p>The door creaked open and the presence of Aemelia Vial had him instantly <em>captivated</em>. From what he could tell, she was half-way through dressing herself - she was noticeably a few inches shorter due to the absence her shoes and her burgundy tresses were free and messy. She was in the midst of fastening a few buttons of a white dress shirt she adorned, and an ebony tie draped across the back of her neck to loosely settle over the sides of her chest.</p><p>"Oh... it's <em>you." </em>Aemelia said bluntly in downplayed surprise, narrowing her curious eyes as she quickly trailed them over his vibrant outfit.</p><p>"Yes... <em>ah... </em>forgive me for visiting you so... <em>early, </em>I..." he trailed off and let out an irritated sigh, uncomfortable with how <em>formal </em>he sounded. "Can I come speak with you for a moment?"</p><p>"Well that depends how long you'll be. I have an important meeting soon, don't want to miss it."</p><p><em>"Eh... </em>I won't be <em>too </em>long... <em>wait... </em>a <em>meeting? </em>What kind of meeting? A meeting with <em>who?" </em>he quietly asked, trying hold back how curious he truly was. He was silently envious... after all, <em>someone else </em>could have managed to charm her for all he knew. She backed away and disappeared from his view, but left the door wide open. Copia took that as her silent <em>acceptance </em>of his presence and he obediently entered, quietly shutting the door after himself.</p><p>"Honestly... I haven't a clue. Something to do with the Ministry's board or... some other <em>boring collective </em>of people." she explained in monotone, ascending the couple of steps up to her bed.</p><p>"The<em> board?! The board are here?" </em>he questioned in a shrill tone, his panic blatantly obvious as he quickly trailed after her, the gloves by his sides tightening into fists. He was fully aware that the board's presence was <em>never </em>a good sign.</p><p>"One of them is... <em>apparently." </em>she replied with an unenthusiastic sigh, scooping up a discarded comb from the crumpled expanse of her black bedcovers. "I won't know for sure until I attend... it's the only reason I'm going to be honest with you."</p><p>"You... you should have said something about this, Aemelia. I would have been more than happy to... <em>enlighten you </em>about the Ministry's board."</p><p>"Well, there has been very little <em>time </em>recently. A lot of... <em>things </em>have gotten in the way." she mumbled darkly, spinning around to face him with a hardened stare. He knew exactly was she was referring to and he suddenly felt guilty.</p><p>"Ah, <em>yes... </em>I... never intended for you to do so much for me, Miss Vial. The amount of bullshit you endured in the last two days... it is all on <em>me. </em>I am very... sorry for that. This Halloween brought out something... <em>strange </em>in me... I assure you that I never intended for the events to go in the ways they did."</p><p>"They <em>weren't </em>your intentions? Because to me, you seemed pretty fuckin' <em>content </em>with most of the shit that happened." she brashly remarked, hopping down the small set of stairs as she clutched the comb to her chest. He obediently scampered after her as she trailed about the room, purposely changing direction to see if he would follow her.</p><p>"I... I know, I was. From what I remember anyway." he replied quietly, furrowing his brow in contemplation. She abruptly halted in the centre of the room and he stopped short of bumping into her... she spun around to face him, raising the comb to guide the teeth through her wavy strands of maroon hair.</p><p>"How much do you <em>actually </em>remember?" she questioned in a calmer tone, boring her dark eyes into him without a single blink as she continued to comb through her tresses.</p><p><em>"Teensy bits." </em>he lied nervously, and from his high-pitched tone and wide-eyed expression it should have been obvious that he was being dishonest. But strangely, he had effortlessly fooled her into believing him.</p><p>She finished teasing her hair, ensuring it parted in the middle and then launched her arm back, forcefully tossing the comb across the room. It landed over the covers of her bed and he gulped, intently watching her as she began to overlap thick locks of her hair to form her first plait.</p><p>"You don't recall <em>grinding on me, </em>then?" she inquired, her face expressionless though her black eyes were filled with mirth as she brazenly returned his stare.</p><p><em>"Aaaaaahm... </em>yes, I <em>do </em>recall that actually. It is a little... <em>hazy </em>but I think I can... <em>just about make it out." </em>he squeaked with blushing cheeks, inhaling sharply as she raised a brow at him and entwined her locks more tightly than necessary.</p><p><em>"Alright, alright</em>. I remember <em>every second </em>of it, ok?" he admitted hurriedly, sighing out in defeat. "I apologise for... going along with the <em>theme </em>of the song, you know? I got kinda... <em>carried away </em>with the spirit of the sixties. I should have probably made you aware of that before I started to grind, ah?"</p><p>Her eyebrow relaxed and she twisted the end of her first plait, tethering it in place with a black band she slid from her left wrist.</p><p>"Generally speaking, <em>absolutely, </em>Cardinal. But no, I wasn't so bothered by it. Like you said, it's just how they danced in the sixties."</p><p>His mouth fell open slightly and he studied her expression for any signs of joviality... but to his surprise she was deadly serious.</p><p>"Huh, you... really did not <em>mind?" </em>he shrieked in disbelief, trying his best to keep his breathing steady. <em>Indifference </em>had been the <em>last thing </em>he had expected.</p><p>"Why would I? It was a simply a style of dancing."</p><p>"So you - <em>ahem </em>- did not think I was coming on a little... <em>strong?" </em>he murmured bashfully, averting his eyes from her to stare at the tips of his winkle-pickers.</p><p>She rolled her eyes and started on her second plait, appearing disinterested when she was truly <em>loving </em>every second of his amazed bewilderment. He couldn't keep himself from avoiding the sight of her for much longer... it was only a few more moments before his eyes were on her again, searching her pallid features while he patiently awaited her response.</p><p>"Oh, you <em>were. </em>But then, you <em>always </em>come on too strong. I do <em>know </em>you, Cardinal. You're a horny kind of bloke... <em>I get it."</em></p><p>He blushed furiously at her casual tone. However, he was somewhat disappointed, because she was still missing a fundamental fact... the fact that his utmost desire was to adore her and satisfy her. He was very tempted to tell that to her in that moment... but he couldn't quite bring himself to do so.</p><p>"I-I deserve to at least... <em>explain </em>my actions, Aemelia." he stuttered nervously, his exhales shallow.</p><p>"Well... do you really have to do that <em>now?" </em>she asked wearily.</p><p>"Yes, yes I <em>must. </em>I... will only feel <em>shitty </em>if I do not."</p><p>He paused and she scowled at him, securing her second plait in place.</p><p><em>"Out </em>with it, then. I need to be out of here soon." she scolded, glaring her black eyes at him.</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, okay!"</em>
</p><p>He exhaled deeply.</p><p>"After our... <em>dance </em>was interrupted, I thought that my actions had driven you away. Even when you came back to the party... I remember feeling... kinda <em>ashamed, </em>you know?"</p><p>She was quiet and her hands lowered to settle on her hips.</p><p>"And for that, and every other <em>shitty mess </em>I have pulled you into... I am <em>in debt </em>to you, Miss Vial. I <em>owe </em>you something, at the very least. Whatever you want, just name it, and I will give it to you. In any form that would be of use to you."</p><p>"Yeah, you made that quite clear to me the other night." she responded softly, sighing out deeply like she had been refraining from breathing out. "But you owe me <em>nothing. </em>You've kept my secret, Cardinal. And you're <em>continuing </em>to keep it. That's enough for me."</p><p>He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and reluctantly nodded in understanding, "Yes, Aemelia. And you are abiding the promise to keep mine..."</p><p>Her expression softened as she tried to decipher the emotion in his mismatched eyes. He swallowed and took a step forward, raising his chin upwards in a defiant manner.</p><p>"... but I am afraid... that is no longer <em>enough </em>for me."</p>
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